Southport Lighthouse
N 42° 35.377 W 087° 48.969
16T E 433035 N 4715566
A restored lighthouse in Kenosha, WI that was operational between 1866-1906.
Waymark Code: WM9P6
Location: Wisconsin, United States
Date Posted: 03/31/2006
Views: 36
From the historical marker in front of the lighthouse:
Built by the federal government in 1866, the Kenosha Lighthouse replaces two other lighthouses constructed at this site in 1848 and 1858. Originally designated a coast and harbor light for Southport, now Kenosha, WI provided the first navigational illumination a mariner would see upon entering Wisconsin from the Chicago area. Standing 55 feet tall and situated on a hill, the lighthouse projected light from 74 feet above lake level. The tower is built of yellow Milwaukee Cream City brick and is conical in shape. Originally the lighhouse contained a fourth order Fresnel lensfueld by kerosene with a fixed?-white light which varied by flashes. Officially discontinued in 1906, the lantern room was later removed and replaced by a 25-foot tripod mast for displaying storm warning flags and lights. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, the lighthouse has been restored and holds an automated electric light.