National Register of Historic Places

Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station

Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin
Listed
September 8, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000077

About this property

The Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station is a complex of navigation aids begun by the U.S. government in the 1860s near the harbor of Racine, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. To guide ships into Racine's harbor, the federal government in 1837 built the first lighthouse at the mouth of the Root River, with a light on a 34 feet (10 m) tower and a lightkeeper's house. Those structures no longer exist. In the early 1860s the pier was extended, and a new lighthouse and keeper's quarters were begun on a rock-filled crib 200 feet (61 m) offshore. They were completed in 1866 and served for 40 years. In 1903 the light was moved from the old lighthouse to a free-standing 120-foot steel tower, and the tower of the old lighthouse was capped with a hip roof. The life-saving station was added in 1903, a 2-story building with a 3-story square, pyramidal-roofed lookout tower. Part of the station was a frame boathouse. A team from the Life-Saving Service lived in this station, and conducted search and rescue operations along the Milwaukee-Kenosha coast and 40 miles (64 km) out into Lake Michigan.

Location

Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin
42.73406, -87.77858

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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Nearby Historic Sites

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Hansen House
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Old Main Street Historic District (Additional Documentation)
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0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station listed on the National Register?

Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 8, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station?

Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station?

The period of significance for Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station?

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