Saturday Travel Feature
1860 Light Station
Port Washington, Wisconsin


"Port Washington's first lighthouse was built on purchased land, in 1849. The land was bought from Henry and Emma Allen, for $200 in 1848 and includes the current site... The lighthouse rose 36-38 feet from the ground to the lantern. The lantern housed a 14" reflector and 5 fixed lamps. Lighthouse and keeper's dwelling were constructed of cream city brick... In 1856 the lantern was refitted with a sixth order lens, white light. Focal plane 36' above base of tower and 109' above sea level. Distance visible: 9 miles.


"By 1859 the lighthouse had to be replaced, possibly due to poor mortar or substandard bricks. This was the case at many sites around Lake Michigan...
The current lighthouse was completed in 1860... It appears that the old brick was salvaged and reused in the new construction... In Scott's New Coast Pilot, 1899 it reads, "Port Washington Light Station. A fixed white light, visible 18 1/4 miles, 4th order. Lantern on yellow brick dwelling, 40 feet high. A coast-light on the bluff in the north part of the town of Port Washington..." The tower on top of the dwelling was of beam construction. 8" x 8" beams rose from the attic to the lantern. The tower was supported by bearing walls on the first and second floors, with 8" x8" cross beams in the basement which rested on 3 brick piers and the front foundation. The lantern was cast iron, 9 sided. The cast iron frame was wainscoted below the glass panels. The lantern was made accessible via a stairway in the SW corner of the first floor and then a series of three ladder stairs rising from the second floor to the attic, attic to watch room and watch room to lantern deck.


"1889 Port Washington's first pier head lighthouse was built. It housed a sixth order fresnel lens and was a red fixed light. The light was exhibited for the first time on the night of September 15, 1889. It was powered by a gasoline generator. The "gas machine" was removed in 1902. At that time the lamps were converted to electricity and the sixth order lens replaced by "improved fifth order lamps." The lighthouse was a pyramidal wooden framework tower with upper portion enclosed. It had a cast iron lantern. Height of tower from base to center of ventilator ball, 42' 11". Focal plane: 36' 2". The tower was built by local contractors under the guidance of the Light-House Superintendent of this district.


"From September 15, 1889 to October 31, 1903 the light keeper, later with the help of an assistant, was responsible for keeping both lights lit.


"Light Station beacon was discontinued October 31, 1903.


"Lightkeeper Charles Lewis, Jr. retired in 1924. The pierhead light was automated and the city ran the fog siren from the water works. No keeper was needed.


"The tower and lantern were removed in 1934 when the new pierhead light was nearing completion. It was at this time that the entire light station was gutted and converted into a two family dwelling.


"Port Washington had either civilian or Coast Guard "keepers" manning the light until 1976 when the pierhead light was fully automated. It is now serviced by Coast Guard personnel out of Milwaukee and occasionally from Sheboygan..."(See Link.)

Restoration of the Light House began in 2001 and is now complete.

The small town of Port Washington is on highway 94 north of Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan.


Photo: Taken in Port Washington, Wisconsin in 2006 by SW.

Link: http://www.portlightstation.org/restoration.htm