Kewaunee Pierhead Light

The Kewaunee Pierhead lighthouse is a lighthouse located near Kewaunee in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. The lighthouse looks nearly identical to the Holland Harbor Lighthouse, except that it is coloured white.[2]

Kewaunee Pierhead Light
LocationKewaunee, Wisconsin
Coordinates44°27′26.67″N 87°29′34.4″W[1]
Tower
Constructed1912/1931
FoundationPier
ConstructionSteel
Height43 feet (13 m)
ShapeSquare[1]
Light
First lit1931
Focal height13.5 m (44 ft) 
LensFifth order Fresnel lens
Range15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi)[1]
CharacteristicWhite, Fixed[1]

History

The original light marking the entrance to Kewaunee was established in 1889 on the North pier. In 1912, the current South pier was built as an open frame tower, with a fog signal building built behind it. The tower was equipped with a fifth order fresnel lens and the fog signal building supplied steam for a 10" fog whistle.[3]

In 1919, the steam whistle was replaced by a compressed air Type F Diaphone fog horn. A 1972 recording of the fog horn was inducted into the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress in 2005.[4]

In 1931, the open frame tower was removed and a tower was built out of the roof of the fog signal building, giving the lighthouse the appearance it has now. The old open frame tower was later reconstructed as the Chicago Harbor Southeast Guidewall Lighthouse, where it still stands today.

The lighthouse was automated in 1981.

Current Status

The City of Kewaunee was granted ownership of the lighthouse in September 2011, as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA).[5] The Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and works to raise funds to restore the lighthouse.

The fresnel lens remained until June 5, 2019, when it was replaced with a Vega Industries VLB-44 LED light.[6] The US Coast Guard maintains the light and the electronic fog horn.

The fresnel lens was moved and placed on display at the Kewaunee County History Center located at 217 Ellis St.

The lighthouse is in the process of being restored and is occasionally open for tours.

  • The new 5 tier LED (Vega VLB-44) light installed by the US Coast Guard on June 5, 2019
  • The 5th order Fresnel Lens in Kewaunee's Pierhead lighthouse sees one of its last sunsets before being removed
  • The configuration of the lighthouse from 1912 - 1931, with an open frame tower and the fog signal building behind it. This photo was taken between 1919 and 1930 when the fog signal was a compressed air diaphone.
  • The lighthouse as seen after the tower was built into the roof of the fog signal building. This change occurred in 1931 and left the lighthouse looking as it does today.[7]

References
  1. Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2014.
  2. "Holland Harbor Lighthouse". lighthouse.boatnerd.com.
  3. "Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse". Lighthousefriends.com. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  4. "Complete National Recording Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  5. "Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse". CITY OF KEWAUNEE, WISCONSIN. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  6. Clough, Christopher. "Fresnel lenses gone from Kewaunee County lighthouses, going to museums". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  7. "Seeing The Light - Kewaunee Pier Lighthouse". www.terrypepper.com. Retrieved 2021-04-22.

Further reading
  • Havighurst, Walter (1943) The Long Ships Passing: The Story of the Great Lakes, Macmillan Publishers.
  • Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
  • Pepper, Terry. "Seeing the Light: Lighthouses on the western Great Lakes". Archived from the original on 2008-01-30.
  • Sapulski, Wayne S., (2001) Lighthouses of Lake Michigan: Past and Present (Paperback) (Fowlerville: Wilderness Adventure Books) ISBN 0-923568-47-6; ISBN 978-0-923568-47-4.
  • Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1-55046-399-3.
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