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Wisconsin Point Light

Coordinates: 46°42′36.5″N 92°00′23″W / 46.710139°N 92.00639°W / 46.710139; -92.00639
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Wisconsin Point Light
Wisconsin Point Lighthouse
Map
LocationSuperior Wisconsin
Coordinates46°42′36.5″N 92°00′23″W / 46.710139°N 92.00639°W / 46.710139; -92.00639[1]
Tower
Constructed1913
FoundationConcrete pier
ConstructionConcrete
Automated1970
Height56 feet (17 m)
ShapeCylindrical, atop square (rounded corners) keeper's house
MarkingsWhite with red lantern, red roof on house
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Fog signalHORN: 1 blast ev 30s (3s bl); operates from May 1 to October 20
Light
First lit1913
Focal height70 feet (21 m)[2]
LensFourth order Fresnel lens
Range21 nautical miles (39 km; 24 mi)[1]
CharacteristicWhit, flashing, 20 s[1]
rear view of Wisconsin Point Light house

The Wisconsin Point Light is a lighthouse located near Superior, on Wisconsin Point, in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States.

The light and attached fog horn building sits within a 10-mile (16 km) long sand bar – stretching between the ports of Duluth and Superior. This sand bar makes the Duluth–Superior Harbor one of the safest harbors in the world. It is "reputedly the longest freshwater sand bar in the world" and is split by this opening near its center, where the lighthouse is located. The Minnesota side of the opening is known as "Minnesota Point" (Park Point) and the Wisconsin side is known as "Wisconsin Point."[4]

History

The original Fresnel lens was manufactured by Sautter, Lemonnier, and Company of Paris in 1890.[5] It was replaced with a DCB-224 aero beacon[6] manufactured by the Carlisle & Finch Company.[7]

It is an active navigational aid and is known as the South Breakwater Light by the United States Coast Guard in the Volume VII light list and the United States Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System.

It is located on the southern Superior Harbor entry breakwall. The Saint Louis River, which rises in Minnesota, becomes the Saint Louis Bay, then flows into Superior Bay and exits into Lake Superior via the ship canals, at each end of (Park Point) Minnesota Point.

References

  1. ^ a b c Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2014.
  2. ^ Pepper, Terry. "Seeing the Light: Lighthouses on the western Great Lakes".
  3. ^ National Park Service, Maritime History Project, Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Wisconsin - Wisconsin Point Light.
  4. ^ Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Superior Entry Lighthouse.
  5. ^ Wobser, David, Wisconsin Point (Superior South Breakwater) Light, boatnerd.com Archived 2008-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Aero beacon, Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light.
  7. ^ Carlisle & Finch Company.

Further reading

Media related to Wisconsin Point Light at Wikimedia Commons