Summary
Pilot Island Light Portes des Morts Passage, Door County Historically, Death's Door Passage, is one of the most treacherous areas on the Great Lakes. The area became significant quite early due to the fact that it is the most direct route from Lake Michigan into Green Bay. La Salle navigated the passage in 1679. During that season La Salle established a trading post at what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin and navigation in the area has been extant ever since. By the 1840's the influx of immigrants to the area from Europe in search of farmland greatly increased the number of vessels traversing the Passage. Consequently, Congress approved the establishment of a lighthouse at Port du Mort on August 14, 1848. The island, now named Pilot Island, is a 3.5 acre island of rock and stone in Door County, Wisconsin and lies two miles to the East of Plum Island, which earned this name by being located "plum center" in the Porte des Morts Passage. The patterns of navigation in this area made the lighthouse quite significant. Even with the lighthouse and fog signal in operation wrecks were not uncommon and it often fell to the lightkeeper to perform rescues as well as tend the light. The current lighthouse was built in 1858 and consists of a rectangular brick Keeper's house. The brick fog signal building was constructed in 1900 and the fog signal equipment has since been removed. At the time of listing, the only other structure at the site was a noncontributing wood frame storage building constructed ca. 1940. In addition to the buildings presently at the site there were eight other structures that have been removed over the years. The original fog signal building was converted to the Second Assistant Keepers dwelling in 1900. There was also a privy, an oil house, a boathouse, two docks (one on the east side and one on the west side of the island), workshop and woodshed. In June 1962 the light was automated and all resident personnel were removed. Death's Door is still an important artery in the navigational pattern of the Great Lakes. Vessels regularly pass through "the Door" traveling between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Pilot Island Light is an important and integral part of the history of navigation in the Door County area.
Property Details
Resources Within The Property
Designations
NR757
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
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Plum Island
10000385
Located in Town of Washington, Door County
In Lake Michigan at E end of South Pier at Kewaunee River mouth, 0.5 miles E of Route 42
100007998
Located in Kewaunee, Kewaunee County
Devil's Island Lighthouse and Fog Signal
1913
Hand-colored postcard showing the lighthouse and fog signal at Devil's Island in the Apostle Islands. Caption reads: "Apostle Islands, Wis. Devil's Island, Lighthouse and fog signal."
