Port Washington Breakwater Light
Encyclopedia
The Port Washington Breakwater Light is a modern lighthouse
at the entrance to the Port Washington, Wisconsin
harbor on Lake Michigan
. The second tower at this location, it remains an active aid to navigation.
In 1931 funds were provided to improve the harbor under the Works Progress Administration
; Construction was protracted and the new breakwaters took three years to complete. As an addendum to this project a new light was constructed, identical to that built at the same time at the Indiana Harbor East Breakwater Light
and a design at several other sites in the Great Lakes
. This light, constructed of steel plates in an Art Deco
style, stood on an open concrete platform which in turn perched at the end of the breakwater forming the northern limit of the harbor. The fourth order lens was retained. As with its predecessor, no provision was made to house the fog signal's keepers, and they continued to live in the old keeper's dwelling in town. Funds for the light were appropriated in 1934 and first light came the following year.
Full automation came late to this light. The old lens and its lantern were removed at an undetermined date, but keepers continued to operate the fog signal manually until 1975. The light continues in use, with a second but much shorter tower standing on the southern breakwater to mark the other side of the entrance.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
at the entrance to the Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington is the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is about 25 miles north of Milwaukee and 110 miles north of Chicago. In the 2000 census Port Washington had a population of 10,467...
harbor on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The second tower at this location, it remains an active aid to navigation.
History
With the dredging of the harbor in the 1870s and the extension of the piers bracketing it, the need was felt for a light to guide ships into the harbor entrance, as the existing lighthouse high above the water did no more than indicate the location of the town. Accordingly a short wooden tower was constructed at the end of the north pier, equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. This light supplanted the older lighthouse in 1903, but the keepers of the newer light continued to live in the latter, as no dwelling was provided on the pier. The beacon itself was automated in 1924 but the fog signal continued in manual operation.In 1931 funds were provided to improve the harbor under the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
; Construction was protracted and the new breakwaters took three years to complete. As an addendum to this project a new light was constructed, identical to that built at the same time at the Indiana Harbor East Breakwater Light
Indiana Harbor East Breakwater Light
The Indiana Harbor East Breakwater Light is an active aid to navigation that marks the end of a breakwater on the east side of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal where it enters Lake Michigan.-History:...
and a design at several other sites in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. This light, constructed of steel plates in an Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style, stood on an open concrete platform which in turn perched at the end of the breakwater forming the northern limit of the harbor. The fourth order lens was retained. As with its predecessor, no provision was made to house the fog signal's keepers, and they continued to live in the old keeper's dwelling in town. Funds for the light were appropriated in 1934 and first light came the following year.
Full automation came late to this light. The old lens and its lantern were removed at an undetermined date, but keepers continued to operate the fog signal manually until 1975. The light continues in use, with a second but much shorter tower standing on the southern breakwater to mark the other side of the entrance.