The Light

The lighthouse was originally fitted with a one-ton, five-foot tall Fresnel lens manufactured in France. This 12-sided lens surrounded a kerosene lamp with multiple wicks. Three hundred hand ground optical glass prisms and 12 bullseyes concentrated and bent light from the lamp so it could be seen 19 miles out over the lake. The original cost was $5000. , The Lighthouse has a tapered outer wall with a diameter of 22 feet at the base and 13 feet at the top. It also has a vertical inner wall. The space between the walls housed a special cable and weight system that, when wound, rotated the Fresnel lens so that a flash occurred every 30 seconds. The mechanism had to be wound by the lighthouse keepers up to five times per night. , Each year, the oil lamp consumed 270 gallons of oil that had to be carried to the top in fuel cans. An incandescent oil vapor system later replaced the original wicks and dramatically increased brightness. In 1924, this Lighthouse was the second on the Great Lakes to replace kerosene with electricity. This further increased brightness and eliminated the need for daily lens cleaning. In 1964, the U.S. Coast Guard removed the Fresnel lens and installed a fully automated, revolving airport aero beacon. The Fresnel lens now is displayed in the Village Hall, courtesy of the Racine Historical Society. , Today the light is a specially designed aero beacon system with a six-station automatic bulb changer. The light itself is still maintained by the Coast Guard