Copper Harbor Light facts for kids
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| Location | 9879 Woodland Rd. (Grant Township), Copper Harbor, Michigan |
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| Coordinates | 47°28′28.1″N 87°51′36.9″W / 47.474472°N 87.860250°W |
| Year first constructed | 1848 |
| Year first lit | 1866 |
| Automated | 1919 |
| Tower shape | square |
| Markings / pattern | White skeleton tower w/black lantern |
| Height | Tower - 42 feet (13 m) |
| Focal height | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Original lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens (original), 12-inch (300 mm) (current) |
| Range | 21 nautical miles (39 km; 24 mi); 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) adjacent tower |
| Characteristic | Fl Green, 6 sec |
The Copper Harbor Light is a famous lighthouse in Copper Harbor, Michigan, USA. It sits on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Upper Michigan. You can find it inside Fort Wilkins Historic State Park. This lighthouse is a special Michigan State Historic Site. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning it's a very important historical place.
History of the Lighthouse
The Copper Harbor Lighthouse was built on a point of land that protects the harbor. It was very important for ships carrying copper from the Upper Peninsula. Many ships also brought immigrants, supplies, and equipment.
Money to build the lighthouse was approved in 1847. The first tower was built in 1848. It looked a lot like the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse. The stone parts of this first lighthouse were taken down. These stones were then used as the foundation for a new lighthouse built in 1866.
The house where the lightkeeper lived is still standing from the first lighthouse. A better lighthouse was built in 1866. This was three years before the Copper Harbor Front Range Light and the Copper Harbor Rear Range Light were added. The steel light tower used today started working in 1933.
The lighthouse station began in 1849. A special Fresnel lens was put in place in 1856. The current tower was first lit in 1866. It is no longer working as a lighthouse. It became automated (worked by itself) in 1919. It was turned off completely in 1933. The building is made of brick with a square tower. It has a natural color with a black top. The keeper's house is attached to it.
In 1933, the light was moved from the lighthouse. It was placed on a nearby white skeleton tower. This tower is 62-foot (19 m) tall. Its light shines from 90 feet (27 m) high. It can be seen from 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) away.
On February 22, 1974, the lighthouse was named a Michigan State Historic Site. On June 7, 2012, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Visiting the Lighthouse Today
The Copper Harbor Lighthouse is now run by the Michigan Department of History, Arts, and Libraries. You can visit it during the summer months. It has a museum inside. The museum teaches you about the lighthouse and the history of ships on Lake Superior.
Other old buildings are also on the property. This includes a separate house from 1849. It was used for storage and to keep oil for the light.
You can take a tour of the lighthouse. The tour includes a boat ride from the Municipal pier in Copper Harbor. The boat ride usually takes about 15 minutes to reach the lighthouse point.
See also
- Lighthouses in the United States
Images for kids
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Original Lighthouse, U.S. Coast Guard Archive Photo
