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Port Washington, WI |
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Description:
Port Washington has been home to several lighthouses, the most recent of which is the Port Washington McDonalds. Nothing remains of Port Washington's first lighthouse that was constructed atop St. Mary's
Hill, just north of the harbor in 1849. The tower was poorly constructed and was replaced with the current lighthouse in 1860, the year set in brick on the front of the building. The light was discontinued in 1903, as the pierhead light that had been added to the harbor in 1889 was deemed sufficient for navigational needs.
The Port Washington Lighthouse still continued to house the keepers who maintained the pierhead light and later served as housing for the Coast Guard. The original tower was removed from the dwelling around 1934 when the new pierhead light was added. In 1992, the old lighthouse was leased to the Port Washington Historical Lighthouse, and the group obtained ownership of the property in 1998. Painted white and without its tower, the original purpose of the structure was masked. The historical society began a restoration in 2000, which included the addition of a tower and the removal of the exterior paint. A dedication ceremony was held on June 16, 2002.
Location: Located at the corner of Johnson and Power Street overlooking Lake Michigan just north of downtown Port Washington. Latitude: 43.391 Longitude: -87.86774 For a larger map of Port Washington Lighthouse, click the lighthouse in the above map or get a map from: Mapquest. Travel Instructions: From Interstate 43 west of Port Washington, take exit 96 and travel east on Highway 33 for 3 miles. The road will become Grand Avenue along the way. Turn left on Franklin Street and drive 0.4 miles to Woodruff Street. Turn right on Woodruff and then make an immediate right on Catalpa Street. Follow Catalpa Street to Johnson Street and turn right. The Port Washington Lighthouse will be down the street on your left. The Lightstation Historical Museum is open from April to October with tours offered on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:00 noon to 4 p.m. The museum can be reached at (262) 284-7240. The lighthouse is owned by the City of Port Washington. Grounds open, dwelling/tower open for tours. Find the closest hotels to Port Washington Lighthouse See our List of Lighthouses in Wisconsin |
