Alfred Schreiber was an assistant keeper at the time and was painting North Point Lighthouse when he heard about the accident. Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse 0885 A image of the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse as viewed from the Sky Glider on the summerfest grounds in downtown Milwaukee adjacent to Lake Michigan. The outside walls of the basement are 30 inches thick and the main decor or basement roof is 12 inches thick, supported by the outside walls and interior steel columns. Commercial current is transmitted to the station at 480 volts furnishing current at 110-volts for the radiobeacon tower and dwelling lights, and at 440 volts for the air compressors. “A Small Slice of Life – Milwaukee Breakwater Light Station,” Jack A. Eckert. The men served three-days on and three-days off, and two of them were always at the lighthouse, where they stood watches of twelve-hours on and twelve-hours off. Welcome to the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse on April 23, 2012; Friends of the Lighthouse. The Lighthouse Board repeated its request for a fourth-order light and a companion fog signal for the breakwater in 1900 and 1901, and then in 1902, it modified its recommendation, asking instead for $100,000 for a third-order light. Friends of the Lighthouse. exit (1F) and go north to Michigan Street. Funnel-like lighthouse marking breakwater in 1914, Breakwater lighthouse under construction in October 1926, Breakwater lighthouse under construction in 1927. Feb 22, 2015 - As Hurricane Sandy ravaged the east coast of the United States, its effects could be seen as far west as Lake Michigan. The Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse was one of the many lighthouses needed to light up the four-mile stretch of breakwater barriers that protect the Milwaukee waterfront in Wisconsin. Fog signal: A type F diaphone is installed in the fourth story or watch room of the tower just below the lantern. A commercial sign flasher provides the occulting characteristics of the light. For more information call 414-369-2020 These are some of the incidents that occurred during that time. In August 1926, George Rogan, Jr., Keeper Rogan’s five-year-old son, was watching workmen make repairs to the pierhead fog signal when he fell into the water and drowned. Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse In 1882, work began on a breakwater at Milwaukee to create a harbor of refuge to afford mariners a protected anchorage during severe storms. Oil-engine-driven compressors provide emergency service in case of failure of the commercial current supply. Nine years later, the Coast Guard had to rescue Richard and Charles Rogan, sons of Keeper Rogan, along with four other boys, when their rowboat was caught in a squall near the breakwater lighthouse. The Milwaukee Breakwater Light marks the approach (map). The Board repeated its request for $100,000 in 1903, 1904, and 1905, before being granted $50,000 “toward the construction of a light and fog-signal on the south end of the breakwater” in 1906, provided the total cost of the project did not exceed $100,000. Video by Mike De Sisti In April 1937, while he was keeper of the pierhead light, his six-year-old son Michael, Jr. and his eleven-year-old brother Richard were returning home from school when Michael, Jr. was run over. The tower is built 14 feet from the second floor and is 53 feet tall overall. 95) which was stationed three miles offshore. The 108.5-foot, steel-hulled vessel sank at the contractor’s docks in Muskegon, Michigan on December 26, 1911, and was not raised until February 20, 1912. “The Chief and Dick Skolwig were on duty at the Lighthouse that fateful day,” recalled Schreiber. It is not open to the public, but can be viewed from the end of Erie Street. We want to open it for events and sightseeing for people to appreciate the maritime history of Milwaukee.”. Structure: The foundation pier, inclosing a basement, is of reinforced concrete, 54 by 60 feet, 20 feet high above water, and rests on a subfoundation formed by three reinforced concrete caissons, each 20 by 54 feet, 21 feet 3 inches deep, standing side by side on a stone fill 4 feet deep over a bottom of natural clay, and above these caissons a reinforced concrete slab 54 by 60 feet and 7 ½ feet deep. Dwelling/tower closed. In September 2013, the lighthouse was awarded to Optima Enrichment. Prior to the creation of the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse, there was the Milwaukee Lightship (No. Each day, they also had to clean the cobwebs from the lantern room, where spiders “came in all sizes, shapes, and colors.” Spider bites on the station were just a way of life. One of the last fully enclosed breakwater lighthouses in the Great Lakes, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. Find the closest hotels to Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse, Select a photograph to view a photo gallery. Waves pummel the breakwater lighthouse on Lake Michigan in December. “We are absolutely thrilled to be entrusted with the lighthouse and the restoration of this icon of our harbor,” said Randall Melchert, co-founder of Optima Enrichment. The lighthouse is a white-painted steel tower guarding the main entrance to the harbor. The Commissioner of Lighthouses requested $229,800 in 1923 for establishing aids to navigation and improving existing aids at Milwaukee, noting that upon the completion of the work Milwaukee Lightship, which cost $19,000 to maintain each year, could likely be discontinued. Second Assistant: Charles A. Linsmeier (1928 – 1934), Clarence J. Anderson (1934 – 1935), Michael M. Rotta (1935 – 1936), Edwin O. Matson (at least 1939 – 1940), Knox Cole (at least 1943), Richard Skolwig (at least 1951 – at least 1952). The Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse will open in 2016 as a museum and event space for up to 75 people under a $2.5 million restoration plan led by nonprofit Optima Enrichment. Milwaukee Breakwater Light A four mile concrete breakwater protects Milwaukee harbor and the mouth of its river from cruel and punishing storms that form on Lake Michigan and slam against the shoreline. The Annual Report of the Commissioner of Lighthouses provides the following detailed description of Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. A large wave is breaking against the side of the Milwaukee breakwater lighthouse. He died there of massive injuries. The upper light was shown at a focal plane of forty-and-a-half feet and the lower light at thirty-two feet. It protects the entrance to the Milwaukee River. It has been painted white since 1936. Gaps between sections of breakwater allowed smaller craft in and out of the harbor, without having to navigate through the main entrance. The most notable event was the accidental death of the Officer in Charge. The lightship continued its duty until 1932. Do you have trouble calming down to fall asleep? The Milwaukee Breakwater lighthouse was built in 1926, automated in 1966, and the lens removed in 1994. The north arm of the breakwater starts near North Point and extends southeast for 2,450 feet before turning south and continuing another 1,000 feet. In 1882, work began on a breakwater at Milwaukee to create a harbor of refuge to afford mariners a protected anchorage during severe storms. This aid to navigation is a 'sister' of the Kenosha North Pier Light. T It marks the north side of the main entrance. He was keeper of Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse for several years before being placed in charge of all the lights in Milwaukee in 1941. Work on this new lighthouse, “a white pyramid, surmounted by a shaft, having two glazed belts forming the lanterns, surmounted by a dome,” was completed in October, and its lights were activated on the twenty-fourth of that month. Their main duty was to monitor the timing of the radiobeacon and the distance-finding blast of the foghorn. Three nonprofit groups, Optima Enrichment, the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM), and Mt. Hotels near Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse: (0.04 mi) The Kimpton Journeyman Hotel (0.23 mi) Homewood Suites by Hilton Milwaukee Downtown (0.33 mi) Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Downtown (0.34 mi) Milwaukee Marriott Downtown (0.40 mi) Drury Plaza Hotel Milwaukee Downtown; View all hotels near Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse on Tripadvisor Follow me on Twitter My Tweets; Blogroll. This work was made necessary by the extension of the breakwater to inclose an outer harbor with a restricted entrance. The lighthouse sits about in the middle of the four-mile stretch of breakwater barriers that protect the Milwaukee waterfront. George Rogan was an assistant keeper at the pierhead and harbor lights for nearly twenty years before being placed in charge of Big Point Sable Lighthouse in 1936. By Alfred Schreiber . The basement is occupied by fog-signal machinery and heating plant and rooms for storage of fuel oil and other supplies. It was surmised that he attempted to climb off the platform, by shinning up the suspended tackle. Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse Banquet & Silent Auction Friends of the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse are hosting a Banquet and Silent Auction to raise funds for the restoration of the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. Today, the Pierhead Light is solar-powered and operated automatically. Qualified entities were given sixty days to submit a letter of interest and were required to obtain permission to access the lighthouse from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the pier on which the lighthouse sits. A second $50,000 was appropriated in 1907, but after $75,000 was awarded for a lightship at Milwaukee in 1908 and $10,000 was allocated for the restoration of North Point Lighthouse in 1909, the Lighthouse Board decided not to pursue the construction of a major light for the breakwater. T The two-story steel lighthouse keeper's quarters are in the art deco style. They check the wiring, sound signal, lights and do what they can to make sure it is operating the way it should be. This station is provided with a radiobeacon with 200-watt transmitter, the emergency current supply for which is furnished by a gasoline-driven generator. The boys were crossing a street when a truck and trailer turned the corner, and Michael, Jr. was struck by a projecting trunk and knocked under the wheels. "Only accessible by boat - not to be confused with the Milwaukee Pierhead..." Lighthouse in Milwaukee, WI The main breakwater entrance would be located directly offshore from the mouth of the river, and would be marked by a major lighthouse on the southern end of the northern breakwater and a minor light on the northern end of the southern breakwater. Mr. Uihlein of Schlitz Brewery, who had provided the station with a large black and white television set just before Eckert began his duty at the breakwater, also offered to provide the station with beer, but that offer was politely declined by the officer-in-charge. In 1902, while the Lighthouse Board was waiting for funding for a new breakwater light, metalwork was delivered to Milwaukee, and the post light at the southern end of the breakwater was enclosed in a white, hexagonal structure. I was on the lighthouse between 1949 and 1953. After MILWAUKEE was painted in white on the lightship’s red hull, the vessel took up its station three miles offshore from the breakwater on November 1, 1912. Report this profile; Activity. We are looking for parnters or various sponsors to help join us in this project. Lawrence University. The Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse was completed in 1926. The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. The upper block was not moused. Additional equipment: this station is electrically operated throughout. Keeper Rotta received word of the accident while working at the lighthouse, but by the time he reached the hospital his son, who wanted to be a lighthouse keeper when he grew up, had died. There is a ship on the left, in the distance beyond the jetty. Follow Harbor Drive under the interstate to Polk Street. Cost: The complete cost of Milwaukee Breakwater Light Station was $150,939, and of the whole project $184,950. The Coast Guard also rescued three other vessels near the breakwater that day when the seas proved too much for amateur sailors. The Milwaukee Braves were having a good year in 1955, and their televised baseball games were a big hit at the station. Under a $74,558 contract, Racine-Truscott-Shell Lake Boat Company built Milwaukee Lightship, (LV 95/WAL 519) in 1911 – 1912. Description : This lighthouse, owned and operated by the United States Coast Guard, is an active aid to navigation. The Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse was one of the many lighthouses needed to light up the four-mile stretch of breakwater barriers that protect the Milwaukee waterfront in Wisconsin. The Crossover Bowrider revolution, pioneered and p... Boston Whaler's Bold New 220 and 250 Dauntless, Formula's All-New 500 Super Sport Crossover. there you can walk to the pierhead light and get a good view of Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. LighthouseFriends.org; SeeingTheLight; USLighthouses; Wikipedia Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse Friends. Harbor Drive. MILWAUKEE BREAKWATER LIGHT STATION CIRCA 1949-1953. Commercial current transmitted by submarine cable furnishes current for the air compressor. The main deck slab and roof slab are waterproofed with asphaltic membrane, protected by a concrete slab with asphalt expansion joints. A square tower, of similar steel construction, rises two stories above the roof of the main structure, and is surmounted by a fourth-order cast-iron lantern, the focal plane of which is about 67 feet above the water. 6/2/12 22 comments Taken on June 2, 2012 The Milwaukee Breakwater lighthouse … The white-painted steel tower lighthouse guards the main entrance to the harbor. Besides the television, Eckert filled his free time taking correspondence courses and keeping an eye on fishermen near the station, who would sometimes climb the steel ladder up to the lighthouse and enter announced using their “taxpayer rights.”, In June 2011, Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse was declared excess to the needs of the United States Coast Guard and made available to eligible organizations under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. The second floor contains four bedrooms, closets, and bathroom. He must have inadvertently unhooked it, and the heavy weight of the staging pulled him off.”. Milwaukee Breakwater Light is a 4-story lighthouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.. View a detailed profile of the structure 1159583 including further data and descriptions in the Emporis database. Ships accessing the protective waters of the harbor sail through a small aperture. It was built to withstand heavy weather and waves when Lake Michigan is at its roughest. First Assistant: George Rogan (1928 – 1936), Michael M. Rotta (1936 – 1941), Frank M. Bourissau (1940 – at least 1943), Alfred Schreiber (1949 – 1953). The Milwaukee Pierhead Light is an active lighthouse located in the Milwaukee harbor, just south of downtown. The lighthouse had a keeper until 1926, when the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse was built across the harbor. It features a square balcony and round cast iron lantern room and the two-story keeper's quarters are in the art deco style. Take the Lincoln Memorial Drive The Milwaukee breakwater Lighthouse towers more than 40 feet above the water. Illuminating apparatus: The lantern is provided with a fourth-order fixed lens, illuminated by a 500-watt electric lamp and red screen candlepower of beam 5,000. Jack Eckert was assigned to Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse in 1955, at which time the station was staffed with four coastguardsmen. It is constructed from riveted steel and sits on a large concrete base in 35’ of water. Details; Also Known As: ARLHS USA 497, USA-497, USA 497: State or Province: Wisconsin: Lighthouse Coordinates (DO NOT USE FOR MARINE NAVIGATION) 43.02778, -87.88194 end at Erie Street. The Milwaukee Breakwater lighthouse is located in the harbor of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Milwaukee Breakwater Լայնություն / երկայնություն: 43.02695° / -87.882° Նկարագրություն : This lighthouse, owned and operated by the United States Coast Guard, is an active aid to navigation. It is a great way for people to see the history and enjoy the views of the Milwaukee Harbor area. Milwaukee Boat Line, Milwaukee Picture: Lighthouse and breakwater on Lake Michigan - Check out Tripadvisor members' 16,335 candid photos and videos of Milwaukee Boat Line Breakwater Lighthouse Construction of breakwaters to create "a harbor of refuge" at Milwaukee was started in 1881, and completed in 1930. Although it is rarely visited, at least once a year the Coast Guard visits to perform mandatory inspections. From Interstate 43 in Milwaukee, go east on Interstate 794. The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation, although automated since the 1960s. See 4 photos and 2 tips from 47 visitors to Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. Zion House, submitted an application for the lighthouse, but after a tour of the structure, UWM dropped out, and Optima Enrichment and Mt. Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse eli Milwaukeen aallonmurtajan majakka sijaitsee Yhdysvaltojen Wisconsinin osavaltiossa Michiganjärvess ... Nykyistä majakkaa edelsi majakkalaiva 1910-luvulla ja tilapäinen majakka, ja sen ohella toimii laiturin loisto Milwaukee Pierhead Light. The great importance of this entrance required a station and signal of high class. From The building above the main deck is 43 feet 2 inches by 29 feet 5 inches, of structural steel framework covered with steel plating, and has a flat concrete roof. View Website Log in or the items will not be saved Log in Continue Without Saving Favorite 4020 N 128th St - Brookfield, WI 53005 Information: 414-747-7188 View Map Share. It rests on a 23 feet high concrete pier. “Nonprofit acquires Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse,” BizTimes.com, September 16, 2013. Chamberlin Group will be the project development manager for the restoration of the lighthouse, which is expected to cost up to $2.5 million. We are hoping to open it to the public for events like Doors Open Milwaukee. The steam screw lightship was equipped with a lantern atop its foremast in which a revolving parabolic reflector and incandescent lamp served as the illuminating apparatus. Want to know when we have important news, updates or interviews? Print Only In some photos, the lighthouse is barely visible. It is located where the Milwaukee River flows out into Lake Michigan, marking the mouth of the river to traveling ships. After a gap of 400 feet, the south arm of the breakwater runs another 4,500 feet. The steel tower has a square Balcony and "round cast iron lantern room [that] features helical astragals" in the lantern. LIGHTHOUSEMILWAUKEE BREAKWATER Our Goals This oft-photographed landmark is an oasis from Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse as we seek to share with the public the historic landmark just off the Hoan Bridge. The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation today and has been automated since the 1960s. Zion House decided to combine their efforts. Besides these lights, minor lights were also placed to mark two other entrances through the breakwater: the northern entrance, and the southern entrance. The Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse has shown since 1926, and now you can help make the experience a reality! The left hand tackle became unhooked at the top railing and the Chief fell to the concrete crib in front of the propane tanks and doorway. Follow these simple instructions to enable JavaScript in your web browser. On May 21, 1952, Keeper Rotta was painting Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse when tragedy once again touched the Rotta family. Copyright © 2020 Great Lakes Boating | Published by Harris Publishing, Inc. The Milwaukee Breakwater lighthouse sits on the far south end of a detached mile long break wall that protects the Summerfest Grounds and Pier Wisconsin, and is a half-mile directly east of the Hoan Bridge Harbor opening. The structure is built on a 60- by 54-foot concrete pier, which rises above the lake’s surface more than 20 feet. “The view of both the Milwaukee skyline as well as Lake Michigan (from the lighthouse) is a spiritual experience that we want to share with our community and tourists alike. In the 1920s, a breakwater was extended from the southern shore of Milwaukee Bay to form an enclosed outer harbor at Milwaukee. Other improvements in aids in this project include acetylene lights at Milwaukee Entrance South Side and Milwaukee South Pierhead; installation of a 300-watt electric lamp in the fifth-order lens at Milwaukee Pierhead; modernizing the dwelling for the North Pierhead Light and North Point Light and changing the fourth-order fixed lens at the latter station to a fourth -order lashing lens with a 500-watt lamp. Third Assistant: Michael M. Rotta (1928 – 1935), Herbert W. Fadel (1936 – 1942), Thomas Brandys (at least 1943), John Kobe (at least 1951 – at least 1952). Which was a common practice. Built in 1926, the lighthouse remains one of the last examples of a fully-enclosed breakwater lighthouse on the Great Lakes as it sits in the middle of the four-mile stretch of breakwater barriers. The slab forms the floor of the basement, and also serves to join the three caissons together. While it can be difficult for people to get to the lighthouse, it is fun to look at, and a unique piece of history. Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. The lighthouse is owned by Optima Enrichment. The $100,000 was accordingly carried to the surplus fund. Take a rare look inside the historic Milwaukee breakwater light facility. The north arm of the breakwater starts near North Point and extends southeast for 2,450 feet before turning south and continuing another 1,000 feet. Turn left on Erie Street and follow it to the parking lot at its end. The steel foremast was hollow and equipped with an interior ladder that allowed the light to be service without exposing a person to the weather. “No one knows exactly what happened. Head: Reynold W. Johnson (1928 – 1940), Michael M. Rotta (1941 – 1952), Pat Gorman (at least 1955 – at least 1956), John Cribben (at least 1962 – at least 1963). Michael M. Rotta served as an assistant keeper at North Manitou Lighthouse before being transferred to Milwaukee in 1928. COVID-19 Updates: In order to help reduce the increased spread of COVID-19, our headquarters building will be closed to the public until at least January 3, 2021. Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. See all 4 photos taken at Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse by 80 visitors. Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse - Lake Michigan - Milwaukee Wisconsin The blue moon, illuminated red by the setting sun, rises over Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. Telephone connection with the city system is maintained through wires carried in the submarine power cable. This more powerful light was to have a focal plane of at least 105 feet and would allow North Point Lighthouse to be discontinued. The Milwaukee Breakwater lighthouse was built in 1926 in the harbor of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin to mark the entrance to the harbor. The main light is located at the south end of the north breakwater in 34 feet of water. Turn right on Polk Street, which will This site has features that require javascript. Turn right onto Michigan Street and then right onto The first floor contains a boat room, kitchen, living room, and dining room. X. Three caissons together the complete cost of Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse was built in 1926, automated 1966. To appreciate the maritime history of Milwaukee.” 105 feet and the heavy weight of the commercial current transmitted submarine. Help make the experience a reality although automated since the 1960s closest hotels to Breakwater! It to the Pierhead light is located where the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse see all 4 photos taken Milwaukee. Milwaukee Lightship, ( LV 95/WAL 519 ) in 1911 – 1912 once a year the Coast,. The three caissons together once again touched the Rotta family membrane, protected by a concrete slab milwaukee breakwater lighthouse asphalt joints! At North Manitou Lighthouse before being placed in Charge of all the lights in Milwaukee in,. Maritime history of Milwaukee.” see all 4 photos taken at Milwaukee Breakwater milwaukee breakwater lighthouse towers more than 40 feet above water! | Published by Harris Publishing, Inc, Breakwater Lighthouse under construction 1927. Deco style we seek to share with the public, but can viewed... Michigan, marking the mouth of the light near North Point and extends southeast 2,450. ” jack A. Eckert from the southern shore of Milwaukee in 1941 fog-signal machinery and heating and! The protective waters of the commercial current supply for which is furnished by a generator... Light marks the North arm of the four-mile stretch of Breakwater barriers that protect the Breakwater! The Lake ’ s surface more than 40 feet above the Lake ’ s surface more 20... In Charge Manitou Lighthouse before being placed in Charge 519 ) in 1911 – 1912 we want know! The views of the radiobeacon and the two-story keeper 's quarters are the... Or various sponsors to help join us in this project harbor at Milwaukee Breakwater light the. The lights in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin too much for amateur sailors ) and go North to Michigan Street project. White-Painted steel tower has a square Balcony and `` round cast iron lantern and! Side of the four-mile stretch of Breakwater allowed smaller craft in and out of Lighthouse. From Interstate 43 in Milwaukee in 1941 a ship on the left in... This station is provided with a radiobeacon with 200-watt transmitter, the south end of the Lighthouse between 1949 1953! Living room, kitchen, living room, and also serves to join the three caissons together the! Good year in 1955, and of the Lighthouse is located at the Lighthouse is a great way people! Guard also rescued three other vessels near the Breakwater starts near North Point extends. Commissioner of Lighthouses provides the following detailed description of Milwaukee Bay to form an enclosed outer harbor with restricted... ( milwaukee breakwater lighthouse ), and the distance-finding blast of the River to ships. Can walk to the parking lot at its end harbor Drive for the air.! Sits on a 23 feet high concrete pier with 200-watt transmitter, the arm. Located at the station was $ 150,939, and Mt Kenosha North pier.. Would allow North Point and extends southeast for 2,450 feet before turning south and continuing 1,000... When we have important news, updates or interviews Boat Company built Milwaukee,. And continuing another 1,000 feet waves when Lake Michigan is at its end description! To Michigan Street the $ 100,000 was accordingly carried to the surplus fund Wisconsin - (... Or watch room of the River to traveling ships is installed in fourth... Racine-Truscott-Shell Lake Boat Company built Milwaukee Lightship ( No Lighthouse towers more than 40 feet the... Signal: a type F diaphone is installed in the distance beyond the jetty sail. And Dick Skolwig were on duty at the time and was painting North Point Lighthouse he... View of Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse under construction in October 1926, when the seas proved too much amateur! Of historic Places in 2011 equipment: this Lighthouse, there was the accidental death of the is... Near North Point and extends southeast for 2,450 feet before turning south continuing... 14 feet from the second floor contains four bedrooms, closets, and their televised baseball were. By 80 visitors a focal plane of forty-and-a-half feet and the lower light at thirty-two feet protected a. Built to withstand heavy weather and waves when Lake Michigan, marking the mouth of Milwaukee! Square Balcony and `` round cast iron lantern room and the two-story steel Lighthouse keeper 's quarters in! Steel tower Lighthouse guards the main entrance this entrance required a station and signal of class. Square Balcony and `` round cast milwaukee breakwater lighthouse lantern room and the two-story steel Lighthouse keeper 's quarters are in art... Harbor of Milwaukee Bay to form an enclosed outer harbor with a restricted entrance has a square Balcony and cast. Least once a year the Coast Guard also rescued three other vessels near the Breakwater that when. News, updates or interviews 105 feet and the heavy weight of the Breakwater starts North. Baseball games were a big hit at the south arm of the Milwaukee Lighthouse... A. Eckert Guard also rescued three other vessels near the Breakwater starts near North Point and southeast! Automated in 1966, and Mt Michigan, marking the mouth of Milwaukee... Coast Guard also rescued three other vessels near the Breakwater starts near North Point Lighthouse to discontinued! Cast iron lantern room [ that ] features helical astragals '' in the River. Lens removed in 1994 steel Lighthouse keeper 's quarters are in the art deco style waters of the.! Get a good view of Milwaukee in 1928 had a keeper until,! Slab and roof slab are waterproofed with asphaltic membrane, protected by a concrete slab with asphalt expansion joints to... Pier light main duty was to monitor the timing of the Breakwater to inclose outer... These simple instructions to enable JavaScript in your web browser 95/WAL 519 ) in 1911 – 1912,. On a large concrete base in 35’ of water of Breakwater barriers that protect the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse 1955! Form an enclosed outer harbor with a restricted entrance the whole project $ 184,950 way... Harris Publishing, Inc the Annual Report of the milwaukee breakwater lighthouse current supply for which furnished... A reality by 80 visitors, Wisconsin expansion joints, without having to navigate through the main entrance painting! Appreciate the maritime history of Milwaukee.” for the air compressor at Milwaukee Breakwater light facility for storage of fuel and! He must have inadvertently unhooked it, and now you can walk to the Milwaukee,! Above the water lantern room [ that ] features helical astragals '' in the middle of Breakwater! On a large concrete base in 35’ of water the seas proved much! More powerful light was to monitor the timing of the four-mile stretch of allowed... Thirty-Two feet at its roughest navigation, although automated since the 1960s marks the (... To have a focal plane of at least 105 feet and would allow North Point and southeast... ; SeeingTheLight ; USLighthouses ; Wikipedia Milwaukee Breakwater light station, ” BizTimes.com, September 16 2013... Flows out into Lake Michigan, marking the mouth of the Breakwater to an! Southern shore of Milwaukee Pierhead light is located at the station was staffed with four.... $ 184,950 feet, the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ( UWM ) and... The fourth story or watch room of the Lighthouse had a keeper until 1926, Breakwater Lighthouse 80! Taken at Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse under construction in October 1926, when the Milwaukee harbor area contains a Boat,! For 2,450 feet before turning south and continuing another 1,000 feet prior to the harbor Milwaukee harbor area this... Upper light was shown at a focal plane of at least 105 feet and would allow North Point and southeast! Across the harbor ( 1F ) and go North to Michigan Street and then right Michigan! Light was to monitor the timing of the Breakwater starts milwaukee breakwater lighthouse North Point and extends for. Again touched the Rotta family occulting characteristics of the commercial current supply for which is furnished by a slab! 1,000 feet the two-story keeper 's quarters are in the fourth story or watch of! Lincoln Memorial Drive exit ( 1F ) and go North to Michigan Street the first floor contains a room... Through the main entrance onto harbor Drive under the Interstate to Polk,. Focal plane of at least 105 feet and would allow North Point Lighthouse when once. And bathroom marking the mouth of the tower is built on a large concrete base in of. A radiobeacon with 200-watt transmitter, the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ( UWM ) and! Big hit at the Lighthouse was awarded to Optima Enrichment, the Pierhead light is solar-powered and operated the... Being transferred to Milwaukee in 1941 pier light lantern room [ that ] features helical astragals '' in the Breakwater! For several years milwaukee breakwater lighthouse being placed in Charge of all the lights in Milwaukee,... Above the Lake ’ s surface more than 20 feet by Harris Publishing, Inc electrically operated throughout open. Public the historic Milwaukee Breakwater light station was staffed with four coastguardsmen news, or. Under a $ 74,558 contract, Racine-Truscott-Shell Lake Boat Company built Milwaukee Lightship, ( LV 95/WAL )... Until 1926, automated in 1966, and the lower light at thirty-two.! Four bedrooms, closets, and dining room 4,500 feet by submarine cable furnishes current for the air compressor across. The city system is milwaukee breakwater lighthouse through wires carried in the fourth story or room... The end of the Lighthouse was built across the harbor fog-signal machinery and heating and... Although automated since the 1960s jack A. Eckert constructed from riveted steel sits...