Pottawatomie Light
Potawatomi Lighthouse 2004
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| Location | Rock Island, Door County, Wisconsin |
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| Coordinates | 45°25′39″N 86°49′41″W / 45.42750°N 86.82806°WCoordinates: 45°25′39″N 86°49′41″W / 45.42750°N 86.82806°W |
| Year first lit | 1836 |
| Automated | 1966 |
| Deactivated | Active |
| Foundation | Stone |
| Construction | Limestone |
| Tower shape | Square, integral with keeper house |
| Markings / pattern | natural with black lantern |
| Height | 41 feet (12 m) |
| Focal height | Focal plane - 159 feet (48 m) |
| Original lens | Fresnel lens |
| Range | 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 4s 159 Light is obscured from 275° to 020° by dense foliage |
| ARLHS number | USA-664 |
| USCG number |
7-21425 |
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Pottawatomie Lighthouse
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| Nearest city | Washington Island, Wisconsin |
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| NRHP Reference # | 79000074 |
| Added to NRHP | April 20, 1979 |
7-21425
Pottawatomie Lighthouse, also known as the Rock Island Light, is located in Rock Island State Park, on Rock Island in Door County, Wisconsin. Lit in 1836, it is the oldest light station in Wisconsin and on Lake Michigan. It was served by civilian light keepers from 1836 to the 1940s, at which point it was taken over by the US Coast Guard.
The first lighthouse on the spot was a structure built in 1836. It was demolished in the late 1850s and replaced by the existing lighthouse. The current building was first lit in 1858 and continued as an active aid to navigation until 1988, when it was replaced with a modern skeletal tower and automated system.
It is the oldest lighthouse in Door County.
The lighthouse was restored by the Friends of Rock Island Lighthouse. It is open for tours during the summer as the Pottawatomie Lighthouse Museum. The lighthouse has been restored to a state illustrating its appearance circa 1882-1910. The restoration was performed with the help from the non-profit Friends Of Rock Island State Park. It now serves as a museum that is open for tours daily from Memorial Day to Columbus Day 10am to 4pm.
The lighthouse was listed as Pottawatomie Lighthouse in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, as reference #79000074. The fresnel lens, lost after the lighthouse was shut down in the late 1980s, was replaced by a plexiglass copy in 1999.
Door County has the most lighthouses of any Wisconsin county.
Visiting Rock Island requires a commitment of at least a day, and is as difficult as any location in Wisconsin. It is said to be worth the trip.
In the Door Peninsula: Highway 42 north to its terminus at the Northport Ferry pier. Book passage on the Washington Island Ferry Line's car ferry "SS Robert Noble" for a thirty-minute crossing to Washington Island. The trip offers distant views of Pilot Island, Plum Island and Detroit Island.
Upon arrival at Washington Island, drive north on Lobdell Point Road, which becomes Main Road. Take Main Road north, thence right on Jackson Harbor Road. Follow Jackson Harbor until you reach its end at the Rock Island Ferry dock. Park your vehicle.
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Wikipedia