Year first constructed 1866 Automated 1996 Foundation Stone Opened 1866 Added to NRHP 28 June 1990 | Year first lit 1866 Deactivated 1906-1996 Height 17 m Focal height 23 m Materials Mortar, Cream City brick | |
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Location Simmons Island, Kenosha, Wisconsin Architectural style Greek Revival architecture Similar Kenosha North Pier Light, Plum Island Range Li, Kevich Light, Peshtigo Reef Light, Chambers Island Light | ||
View from kenosha light
Kenosha Light (also called Southport Light) is a lighthouse located near Kenosha in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, USA.
Contents
- View from kenosha light
- Map of Kenosha Light 4th Ave Kenosha WI 53140 USA
- History
- Current status and directions
- References
Map of Kenosha Light, 4th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53140, USA
History
Also known as the "Old Kenosha Light", it was replaced by the Kenosha North Pier Light in 1906. The keeper's house continued to be used for many years, however.
The light is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Kenosha Light Station, Reference #90000995. It has been an active aid to navigation since 1996, but is not listed in Volume VII United States Coast Guard light list. The lantern room was removed in 1913 but replicated in 1994. The Fresnel lens was replaced by a 300 mm Tidaland Signal plastic lens – a medium range lens commonly used on the Great Lakes.
A historical marker in front of the lighthouse reads:
Built by the federal government in 1866, the Kenosha Lighthouse replaces two other lighthouses constructed at this site in 1848? and 1858?. Originally designated a coast and harbor light for Southport, now Kenosha, Wisconsin provided the first navigational illumination a mariner would see upon entering Wisconsin from the Chicago area. Standing 55 feet (17 m) tall and situated on a hill, the lighthouse projected light from 74 feet (23 m) above lake level. The tower is built of yellow Milwaukee Cream City brick and is conical in shape. Originally the lighthouse contained a fourth order Fresnel lens fueled by kerosene with a fixed?-white light which varied by flashes. Officially discontinued in 1906, the lantern room was later removed and replaced by a 25-foot (7.6 m) tripod mast for displaying storm warning flags and lights. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, the lighthouse has been restored and holds an automated electric light. (1996)Current status and directions
The building is currently maintained by the City of Kenosha and the Kenosha County Historical Society. It is also on the State List/Inventory, having been listed in 1975.
The keeper's house is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays during the tourist season. The tower is open for climbers many weekends of the summer.
The lighthouse can be seen from Kenosha near the vicinity of 50th Street and 4th Avenue.