About this property
The Kewaunee Pierhead lighthouse is a lighthouse located near Kewaunee in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. The lighthouse looks nearly identical to the Holland Harbor Lighthouse, except that it is colored white. The original light marking the entrance to Kewaunee was established in 1889 on the North pier. In 1912, the current South pier was built. The lighthouse was built as an open frame tower with a fog signal building immediately behind it, connected by a 2nd floor corridor. The tower was equipped with a fifth order Fresnel lens and the fog signal building supplied compressed air to a 10" diameter chime fog whistle, manufactured by Crosby Steam Gauge and Valve Company. In 1919, the compressed air whistle was replaced by a compressed air Type F Diaphone fog horn. A 1972 recording of the fog horn was inducted into the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress in 2005. In 1931, the open frame tower was removed a tower was built out of the roof of the fog signal building, giving the lighthouse the appearance it has now. The old open frame tower was later reconstructed as the Chicago Harbor Southeast Guidewall Lighthouse, where it still stands today. The lighthouse was automated in 1981. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. The City of Kewaunee was granted ownership of the lighthouse in September 2011, as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA). The Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and works to raise funds to restore the lighthouse. The Fresnel lens remained until June 6, 2019, when it was replaced with a Vega Industries VLB-44 LED light. The US Coast Guard maintains the light and the electronic fog horn. The Fresnel lens was moved and placed on display at the Kewaunee County History Center located at 217 Ellis St. The lighthouse is in the process of being restored and is occasionally open for tours. Media related to Kewaunee Pierhead Light at Wikimedia Commons Aerial photographs of Kewaunee Pierhead Light at Marinas.com. Terry Pepper, Seeing the light, Kewaunee Pier light. NPS Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Wisconsin Archived 2006-02-09 at the Wayback Machine Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Eastern Wisconsin". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Wisconsin". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01. Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard.
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse
This page lists Kewaunee Pierhead 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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse listed on the National Register?
Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 14, 2022.
What type of historic resource is Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse?
Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse?
The period of significance for Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Kewaunee Pierhead 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 Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Kewaunee County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Kewaunee County.
Explore KewauneeCounty ›More historic places in Wisconsin
Browse all historic places in Wisconsin.
View Wisconsinhistoric sites ›Wisconsin history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Wisconsinhistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.