Wisconsin Lighthouses to Be Auctioned

Each year the General Services Administration posts government properties which the general public as well as historical societies and municipalities may wish to purchase. The government agencies responsible for the maintenance of these structures no longer see a use for them. In 2010, two lighthouses located in Wisconsin were included on the GSA roster. What was the historic significance of these Wisconsin lighthouses?

Kenosha North Pierhead Light
The Kenosha North Pierhead Light is cone-shaped and constructed of steel plates riveted together. The lantern house which tops the 50 foot structure has reinforcing helical bars on the lantern room storm panes, a dome, and gallery (walkway around the outside of the lantern room), all in black. The rest of the lighthouse is red, a common color for Lake Michigan lighthouses. There are porthole windows in the upper third of the lighthouse base. These illuminate the spiral interior staircase leading to the lantern room. The Kenosha North Pierhead Light is located at the end of a concrete pier which juts 750 feet into Lake Michigan. This pier defines the northern part of the entrance to the Pike River. You can see the lighthouse by driving to the parking lot at the southern part of Simmons Island.

In its beginning as a navigational aid to mariners on Lake Michigan, the Kenosha North Pierhead Light had a Fourth Order Fresnel lens. Today, the beacon is created by a 250 mm Tideland Signal lens, similar to those used in airport towers. All lighthouses have a unique signature beacon. The Kenosha North Pierhead Light flashes red for 2.5 seconds, remains dark for 12.5 seconds, and repeats this pattern during the navigation season.

Though the Kenosha North Pierhead Light was constructed in 1906 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the history of lights in Southport, or Kenosha as the town became known, goes further back. In 1848, the Southport Lighthouse was constructed on a hill overlooking the Pike River and Lake Michigan. When piers were built to aid in creating a wider channel for boats to enter the Pike River, a lighthouse was constructed at the pier end. In 1856, this lighthouse was only 12 feet tall with a frame made of wood. A Lake Michigan storm demolished it in 1860. From 1860 to 1865, the light at the end of the pier was on a post. When the Kenosha North Pierhead Light was built, the Southport Lighthouse was decommissioned.

Through the years a number of changes have been made to the light at the end of the north pier. Old postcards show a metal catwalk extending the length of the pier as well as a whitewashed exterior on the lighthouse. The red coat of paint was added in 1917. A small utility building was located on the pier's shore side. Attached to the Kenosha North Pierhead Light on the lake side of the pier was a fog signal building made of steel and painted white. The signal was said to sound every thirty seconds when the weather was inclement. All that is left now is the light itself.

The keepers of the light and their assistants did not have quarters at the end of the pier but were allowed use of the old Southport Lighthouse as a residence. The Kenosha North Pierhead Light had three keepers in its history but fifteen different assistants. Many resigned or were transferred. One of the keepers, Charles E. Young, remained as lighthouse keeper for 24 years until his retirement at the age of 63. In 1925, the beacons no longer depended upon oil or kerosene to keep their beams lit because of the advent of electricity. Sometime in the 1940s, the Kenosha lights no longer required keepers to maintain the beacons.

The Kenosha North Pierhead Light was offered in auction by the United States Coast Guard in June 2008. As of July 21, 2008, when a letter of intent to purchase was to be received, no one had stepped forward to purchase the light.

The Southport Lighthouse is in the process of being restored by the municipality of Kenosha and the local History Center. At this time, whether the city makes a bid on the Kenosha North Pierhead Light remains to be seen.

The pier on which the Kenosha North Pierhead Light stands is open for visitors but tourists must be content with having their photos taken in front of the closed tower of the Kenosha North Pierhead Light.

Manitowoc Breakwater Light
Manitowoc has had a reputation for shipbuilding since 1847. The first light marking the entrance from Lake Michigan to the Manitowoc River and the harbor was constructed of brick in 1840. A fog signal building and replacement light was placed there in 1895. The 1895 light was demolished and the remainder of the Manitowoc Breakwater Light is a construction from the year 1918.

At the base of the Manitowoc Breakwater Light at the end of the north breakwater is a cast iron fog signal building. During inclement weather, the signal horn sounds twice every thirty seconds. Above the fog signal building are the keeper's quarters or watch room, a two story structure made of steel. Immediately above the keeper's quarters is the light tower constructed of cast iron. The light station sits on a concrete pier base eleven feet tall which is an extension of the breakwater. Old photos of the Manitowoc Breakwater Light show a catwalk extending along the pier to the light. The catwalk no longer exists.

The entire structure is 52 feet tall. The light tower is in the shape of a cylinder. It is topped by a gallery around the lantern room and another gallery around the tower base. Except for the lantern room which is in black, the entire structure of the Manitowoc Breakwater Light from base to tower has been painted white. The concrete crib pier has been a favorite spot for vandals to spray paint their graffiti. This has become so bad the Coast Guard considered closing off the breakwater to foot traffic in 2010.

The light has had two Fresnel lenses during its history as a navigational aid. The first light was a Fourth Order Fresnel lens. This artifact now can be seen in the city's Wisconsin Maritime Museum. It was removed in 1918 and a Fifth Order Fresnel lens replaced it. The newer lens was crafted by the Parisian company Sautter, Lemonnier and Company. The Manitowoc Breakwater Light's signature signal pattern is three seconds of a white flash, followed by three seconds of no light.

All doors and windows to the Manitowoc Breakwater Light have been covered by metal plates to prevent anyone from entering the structure.

The Manitowoc Breakwater Light fared better than the Kenosha North Pierhead Light as far as light keepers. The current light had only one keeper, Joseph Napiezinski, from 1918 to 1941 when he retired. The four assistants manned their posts from eight to thirty years. A Coast Guardsman manned the light from 1952 to 1958. When the light went on the auction block in 2009, the Manitowoc Wisconsin Maritime Museum seemed interested in acquiring it.

Tourists may visit the Manitowoc Breakwater Light by walking out to it via the breakwater (if it has not been closed to the public) or taking the SS Badger, the car ferry which has boarding docks at both Manitowoc and Ludington, Michigan. The SS Badger passes by the light on its way from one city to the other. Parking is in the marina parking lot at the end of Maritime Drive.

References:
http://lighthouse.boatnerd.com/gallery/michigan/kenosha-pier.htm Description and Photos by Dave Wobser
http://www.maritimetrails.org/visit_trails_details.cfm?RESOURCEID=77 Short Description and Two Photos
http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/wi.htm Kenosha and Manitowoc Lights Plus Many More
http://www.wmta.org/-kenosha-red-pierhead-light--old-southport-lighthouse-131/ West Michigan Tourism
http://www.wmta.org/manitowoc-breakwater-135/ West Michigan Tourism
http://www.nps.gov/history/maritime/nhlpa/2009_NHLPA_Highlights_Report.pdf Lighthouses To Be Disposed Of
http://www.seathelights.com/other/anatomy.html Lighthouse Anatomy
http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/kenoshapier/kenoshapier.htm Complete History of the Kenosha Lighthouses
http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/manitowocpier/manitowoc.htm Manitowoc Breakwater Light History