Rock Harbor Light facts for kids
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| An old photo of the lighthouse | |
 Rock Harbor Lighthouse
Location in Michigan
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| Location | Rock Harbor, Isle Royale National Park, Michigan |
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| Coordinates | 48°5′21″N 88°34′45″W / 48.08917°N 88.57917°W |
| Year first constructed | 1855 |
| Year first lit | 1856 |
| Construction | brick/stone |
| Markings / pattern | White with black lantern |
| Height | 50 feet (15 m) |
| Original lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | Removed |
The Rock Harbor Lighthouse is a special building with a light. It is found in Rock Harbor on Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. This lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This means it is an important historical site.
Contents
What Does the Rock Harbor Lighthouse Look Like?
The Rock Harbor Lighthouse is a round tower. It stands about 50 feet (15 meters) tall. The bottom part of the tower is about 16 feet (5 meters) wide. It is built from stone and brick.
At the very top, there is an eight-sided light room. This room has a copper roof. A house for the lighthouse keeper is attached to the tower. This house has one and a half stories and a pointed roof.
Why Was the Rock Harbor Lighthouse Built?
In 1852, many ships were sailing on Lake Superior. People thought a new lighthouse was needed on Isle Royale. The next year, the government gave $5,000 to build a light at Rock Harbor.
Building the lighthouse started in 1855. It was finished in 1856. The Rock Harbor Lighthouse was the first lighthouse ever built on Isle Royale. The first keeper, who was in charge of the light, arrived on October 24, 1856. The lighthouse started working soon after.
When Was the Lighthouse Used?
The lighthouse was only used for less than three years at first. There were fewer ships because copper mining slowed down. So, the light was turned off on August 1, 1859. The lighthouse was left empty.
During the American Civil War, copper mining became busy again. In 1873, work began to fix up the lighthouse. It was turned back on on August 5, 1874.
However, copper prices dropped again. Also, another lighthouse, the Isle Royale Light, started working in 1875. This made the Rock Harbor Light less important. On October 4, 1879, the Rock Harbor lighthouse was turned off for the last time. It had only been used for about eight years in total.
What Happened to the Lighthouse Later?
In 1910, the keeper's house was changed. New windows that stick out from the roof, called dormers, were added. In the 1950s, the tower started to lean. Workers had to fix it so it wouldn't fall over. The tower still leans a little bit today, about 2 degrees.
The original wooden roof was changed to asphalt in 1962. The base of the lighthouse was made stronger in 1969. Today, no one lives or works at the lighthouse.
