There are quite a few lighthouses around Door County, WI, and this is the first one we visited on our trip. It was a gloomy, cloudy morning, but the bright red paint made this lighthouse stand out.

It was surprisingly quiet here. Most lighthouses have a ton of visitors, but at the time we visited this one, we were the only visitors.

It is situated on the end of a breakwater that protects the entrance to the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. Construction of the existing tower was completed in 1903. The light tower is made out of cast iron and the fog signal building is made from steel sheets. The whole structure is situated on a concrete foundation at the end of the pier. The lantern originally housed a 6th order fresnel lens. That lens was removed at some point and replaced with a modern red 300mm acrylic optic.

Three fog signals have been used here as well. The original signal was a steam whistle. In the 1920s it was replaced with a diaphone type fog signal. The current signal is a small electric horn that can be seen sitting just inside the railing of the gallery. It is the round cylinder about the size of a trash can.

One last tidbit is the elevated catwalk that leads up to the lighthouse. Many pier lighthouses had catwalks such as this. They are there to allow the keeper to walk to the lighthouse even when high waves are sweeping over the pier.

This photo is a closeup of the lantern. Note the modern optic inside the lantern. Also note the fog signal outside on the gallery to the right of the lantern -- between the lantern and the gallery railing.

For more info, visit these websites: www.us-lighthouses.com/displaypage.php?LightID=330 www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/light/sturpier.htm www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=256 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon_Bay_Canal_North_Pierhead_L...