Some Folks Think It Looks Like a Wedding Cake

Located at the mouth of the Manitowock River at Manitowock, WI, stands the Manitowock Breakwater Light. Some people have said this lighthouse reminds them of a wedding cake.

The original lighthouse, built nearby here in 1839, had a 1 1/2 story brick keepers dwelling built a few yards from a 30-foot brick tower. Because the structures sat on a hill, off picture, the focal plane of the light was 63 feet above the water. In 1859, the top ten feet of that tower was torn down, and then rebuilt adding one additional foot. Purpose of the rebuild was to accommodate a larger lantern room and a fifth-order Fresnel lens. That lighthouse operated until 1877 when it was discontinued. Eventually, it was torn down after construction of the breakwater light. 

In 1918, this breakwater lighthouse was constructed of concrete. The light tower itself is erected atop a single story structure which rises out of a lower level fog signal building which in turn is mounted on a massive crib. All of this stands 52 feet tall above Lake Michigan. In 1971 the light was automated. Then in 2002, the fifth-order Fresnel lens was removed and placed in the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. (I visited this lighthouse in 2002 and it was still active at the time.) In 2009, the Coast Guard declared the lighthouse excess, and it was eventually sold at public auction to a private citizen. Click on the above picture for a closer view of the lighthouse.

Only Eight Sided Pyramidal Erector Style Lighthouse On The Great Lakes

The Rawley Point Lighthouse, also known as the Twin River Point Lighthouse, is located at Two Rivers, WI. It's not clear exactly when a lighthouse was first constructed here, but records indicate the first lighthouse in this area was built in 1853 at Twin Rivers Point. The original had a brick tower that stood 100 feet tall and was attached to the keeper's dwelling by a hallway. The remains of the original circular tower can be seen at the right side of the big house, behind the tree and in front of the metal tower. (Enlarge picture for better view.) In 1894 the top portion of the brick tower was demolished. The remaining shorter tower with the cone shape roof, became part of the keeper's quarters in 1895. One result is a curious round living room that remains inside the dwelling. In 1962, a fire damaged the keeper's quarters,

The current eight sided pyramidal erector style lighthouse is the only one of this type on the Great Lakes. It stands 111 feet, the second tallest lighthouse in WI. It is an alteration and expansion of a lighthouse relocated from the Chicago River Light-station in 1893 after the World's Fair. The light tower has a central cylinder iron stair containing 132 steps with support supplied by a maze of exterior steel frames. There’s a double-decked set of watch-rooms with ornate fencing, placed one atop the other, below the lantern room. These dual watch-rooms are another unique feature among WI lights. The light tower was constructed next to the two and a half story keeper's dwelling.

In 1920 the light was electrified, and the original third-order lens continued in use until 1952 when a piece of the lens broke. The lens was replaced with the current twin-bull's eye rotating beacon which can be seen for 28 miles, weather permitting. 

At the time of my visit, this was an active lighthouse, but the tower and quarters were off limits to the public. The Coast Guard utilized the quarters for housing and a military recreation cottage.