Kewaunee, WI. - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse in Kewaunee, Kewaunee County, on the State Register of Historic Places.

The Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse sits on the south pier where the Kewaunee River flows into Lake Michigan. It was added to the State Register of Historic Places because of the lighthouse’s role in maritime transportation and commerce in Kewaunee and the waters Lake Michigan. Lighthouses like this have enabled safe passage for thousands of ships and exemplify the federal government’s role in providing a nationwide system of aids to navigation.

The lighthouse on Kewaunee’s pierhead was built as a fog signal building in 1909 and converted to a lighthouse in 1931. Today’s four-story lighthouse includes the original two-story fog signal building, an integral light tower, and lantern gallery that now house a modern, automated fog detector and fog signal. There are also rooms previously used for machinery, office space, and living quarters for the lighthouse keeper.

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.

About the 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.