For Immediate Release

Contact: Kara O’Keeffe
608-261-9596
kara.okeeffe@wisconsinhistory.org

August 30, 2018

Wisconsin Historical Society Placed the Port Washington North Breakwater Light on the State Register of Historic Places 

Port Washington, Wis. - The Wisconsin Historical Society placed the Port Washington North Breakwater Light (Port Washington, Ozaukee County) on the State Register of Historic Places on August 17, 2018. State Historic Preservation Officer Jim Draeger presents a certificate to Mayor Marty Becker & Cindy Becker.

Lighthouses have long exerted an emotional pull on those who visit them and the lighthouse that guides ships into the city of Port Washington’s harbor is no exception. Built in 1935 and located at the end of a 2,535-foot-long breakwater that was completed the year before, the unmanned Art Moderne style, concrete and steel Port Washington North Breakwater Light is one of eight Great Lakes lighthouses that were built between 1934 and 1950 to a standard design developed by the U.S. Lighthouse Service specifically for use on the Great Lakes. The lighthouse is square in plan, with a steel frame superstructure sheathed in pre-fabricated steel sheets, riveted together.  This light has a one-story first level, above which is a narrower four-story steel shaft; connecting the two is a one-story curved section.  

This design features Art Moderne (sometimes called “Streamline Moderne”) stylistic influences such as curved design elements, circular “porthole” windows that in this instance are clear references to its maritime origins, and chamfered corners that referenced the curved corners that appeared on many Art Moderne style buildings. During a period when shipping on the Great Lakes was critical to commerce and interstate trade, navigational aids were an essential component of the safe travel in and out of the harbor. This lighthouse is a striking example reflecting the early twentieth century period of maritime history.       

The State Register is Wisconsin's official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin's heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.   

About Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.

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