National Register of Historic Places

Cana Island Lighthouse

Baileys Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin
Listed
November 21, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000201

About this property

The Cana Island lighthouse is a lighthouse located just north of Baileys Harbor in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. Along with the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, the lighthouse was built to replace the Baileys Harbor Lighthouse in 1869 and was first lit in 1870. It is still used as an active navigational aid under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Since the 1970s, both the lighthouse and its keeper's quarters are open for visitors to tour by means of the Door County Maritime Museum. On August 9th, 2025, the island was hit by a storm and suffered severe damage, with around 30% of the island's trees being lost.

Location

Baileys Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin
45.08835, -87.04840

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONMARITIME HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Cana Island Lighthouse

This page lists Cana Island Lighthouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

CHRISTINA NILSSON (shipwreck)
Industrial
3.3 mi
Baileys Harbor Range Light
Listed
3.7 mi
Sunshine Shipwreck (Scow Schooner)
Listed
3.7 mi
EMILIN (schooner) Shipwreck
Listed
3.8 mi
Zahn, Albert, House
Industrial
3.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cana Island Lighthouse listed on the National Register?

Cana Island Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Cana Island Lighthouse?

Cana Island Lighthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cana Island Lighthouse?

The period of significance for Cana Island Lighthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Cana Island Lighthouse?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Cana Island Lighthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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