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.
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.
3 comments:
Really tall looking. I would get dizzy looking down from where the lens is.
Hi Al - Forgot to mention that my mother was born at Piedres Blancas Lighthouse, by San Simeon, down the hill from where Hearst Castle now stands, in 1914, my Grandfather Walter White was keeper.
Carol, you have an interesting connection to lighthouses and a family who lived and worked in them. Thanks for sharing. Al
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