The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal is marked by two lighthouses. This lighthouse is located on the shore next to the canal. The history of this light is fascinating.

The design of the lighthouse was experimental and consisted of just the central column with a lantern and watch room perched on top. The hope was that this was going to be a simple, economical way to build a lighthouse for the future. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. It was discovered very quickly that the lantern vibrated from the movement of the tower in the wind and that made it impossible to keep the light turning on time. Several attempts were made to correct the problem and ultimately, they ended up adding the bracing you see on the lighthouse today. The tower was originally built in 1899 and the bracing you see today was completed in 1903.

The lantern contains a third order fresnel lens which is still in use today.

A couple of interesting things to note about the lantern. Note that the glass used in the lantern is curved instead of flat rectangular panels. In addition, it doesn't have the typical ventilator ball on the roof that you see in most lighthouses of this era. Instead, there is a small chimney where the ventilator ball is usually found.

For more information, check out these websites: www.us-lighthouses.com/displaypage.php?LightID=329 terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/sturgeoncanal/sturgeoncan... www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=255 www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHWI.asp