Pottawatomie Light facts for kids
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| Potawatomi Lighthouse 2004 | |
| Location | Rock Island, Door County, Wisconsin |
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| Coordinates | 45°25′39″N 86°49′41″W / 45.42750°N 86.82806°W |
| Year first lit | 1836 |
| Automated | 1966 |
| Deactivated | 1988 |
| Foundation | Stone |
| Construction | Limestone |
| Tower shape | Square, integral with keeper house |
| Markings / pattern | natural with black lantern |
| Height | 41 feet (12 m) |
| Focal height | 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 |
The Pottawatomie Lighthouse, also known as the Rock Island Light, is a historic lighthouse located in Rock Island State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. It first shone its light in 1836, making it the oldest lighthouse in Wisconsin and on Lake Michigan. For many years, brave keepers lived and worked here, guiding ships safely.
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The Story of Pottawatomie Lighthouse
The very first lighthouse building on this spot was built in 1836. It had a house and a separate tower about 30 feet tall. However, it wasn't built very well, so it was replaced. The lighthouse you see today was built in 1858. The old tower and house were taken down later.
The current lighthouse started working in 1858. It helped guide ships until 1988. At that time, a new, modern tower took its place. The new system was also automated, meaning it didn't need people to operate it.
Wisconsin's Oldest Lighthouse
This lighthouse is the oldest one in Door County. Door County has more lighthouses than any other county in Wisconsin! The Pottawatomie Lighthouse was served by people called "civilian light keepers" from 1836 until 1946. After that, it became automated, using machines instead of people.
Visiting the Lighthouse Museum
Today, the Pottawatomie Lighthouse has been carefully restored. It looks like it did between 1909 and 1913. A group called the "Friends of Rock Island Lighthouse" helped with this important work.
Now, the lighthouse is a museum called the Pottawatomie Lighthouse Museum. You can visit it for tours during the summer months. It's open every day from Memorial Day (late May) to Columbus Day (early October).
National Recognition and Restoration
The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. Its special lens, called a Fresnel lens, was lost after the lighthouse closed in the late 1980s. But in 1999, a new copy made of plexiglass was put in its place.
There's also an old building on the grounds called a "privy" (an outdoor toilet). This privy was built in 1836 and is the oldest building in all of Door County!
Gallery
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The interior has been historically restored.
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USCG archive photo
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In 1883
