The Lights of Port Washington
by Linda Nenn

Fourteen years after the founding of Port Washington our first lighthouse was built (1849). It stood atop the north bluff ("St. Mary’s Hill"), approximately in the center of the street where it turns north. The lighthouse was a free standing cylindrical tower made of cream city brick. The keeper’s dwelling was located in the northwest corner of the present light station property. It was also built of cream city brick, probably made right in Port from the sand and clay that is so plentiful in this area.

By the late 1850’s it was felt a larger structure was needed. The federal government was convinced of the need and the 1860 light station was commissioned. Rather than a free standing tower, the lantern room (tower) was built on top of the house. This was a common design in that era. Both the 1849 and 1860 lights were "shore lights" intended to be seen from the greatest distance out on the lake. 

In 1870 the federal government created the first artificial harbor on the Great Lakes at the mouth of Sauk Creek. Port Washington had no natural harbor which was generally considered a prerequisite for a port city. Until this time the maritime traffic had been serviced by a series of privately built wooden piers extending out from the shoreline. These piers provided no shelter from the storms and directly contributed to the demise of the TOLEDO in 1856. The 1870 harbor consisted of two parallel piers extending due east about 900 feet into the lake and a dredged west slip that still exists today. Within a few years a north slip was added to the configuration to absorb some of the wave action created when storms rolled into the harbor. The north slip was converted into an inner marina in 1998.

The 1860 light station continued to be the only beacon directing sailors to our port. Lanterns would be hung at the end of the wooden piers, but the limited illumination was of little use to boats seeking the harbor. The city and the lighthouse keepers petitioned for a pierhead light many times over the years but it wasn’t until 1889 that the federal government appropriated moneys for the construction of a light house.

The 1889 lighthouse was made of wood. It was located on the north pier and eventually accessed by a raised wooden catwalk. It had a fourth order fresnel lens, operated first by a gasoline engine and later electrified. Early records do not indicate that there was any type of foghorn. The keeper of the lights during this period was Captain Charles Lewis. He was expected to manage both the light station beacon which was fueled by oil or kerosene and the pierhead light. He wrote to the district officer that an assistant would be helpful, but that request was at first denied. Records indicate that Delos Smith was appointed assistant keeper in 1894. Whether or not he was the first assistant is not known at this time. Personal accounts seem to indicate that Port Washington’s lights were keep in service year round. Many Great Lakes lights were not lit during the winter months when shipping all but stopped because the harbors and northern parts of the lakes froze. Port Washington had an active fishing fleet that worked day in and day out year round. Coastal "package" boats also plied the waters 12 months a year.

The lantern on the 1860 light station was discontinued in 1903. The buildings remained the same until 1934. At this time the tower was removed. An old barn was replaced with the present generator building. The red brick oil house was razed and the light station was converted into a duplex. This allowed the keeper and his assistant to live in close proximity.

The catalyst for this major renovation was the construction of the federal pier and lighthouse that can currently be seen at our lakefront. The pier took over 3 years to complete and was a WPA project. It was one of only two federal maritime projects approved in 1931. Taken into the context of the times, that the Great Depression was spreading across the land, Port Washington was very fortunate to be granted this federal aid. General laborers would line up each morning, hoping to be hired for the day. The skilled workers were employed on a permanent basis. Concomitant with this federal project, a coal fired electric generating plant was being built on the south side of the new harbor. The result of all this construction was the creation of one of the best fair weather ports on the Great Lakes. In rough weather the seas rolled right into the harbor and many a boat was damaged or sunk.

The lighthouse was not a part of the original appropriation and the community worried that they might end up with a pier but no beacon. In 1934 the federal government again came through with the moneys to build the lighthouse you see today. The style is considered art deco and is not unique to Port Washington. What is different about it is the concrete base which gives the light more height and also allows people to pass under it and mariners to have a fairly unobstructed view of the lake and the harbor. The original lantern has been replaced with a continuously operating beacon and foghorn.

The south pier is the property of Wisconsin Electric Power Company, although the starboard light is maintained by the Coast Guard. This pier and the power plant was built concomitantly with the federal pier project, another boon for the citizens during the Depression.