Whitefish Point Lighthouse Lighthouse
Fl W 20s🇺🇸Whitefish Bay/Lake Superior, MI, USOperational
Location & Light Range
About Whitefish Point Lighthouse Lighthouse
The Whitefish Point Lighthouse began operations in 1861, with its current tower standing 23 meters tall. Its focal height reaches 24 meters above the water. This Michigan state historic site is situated on the southeastern shores of Lake Superior, marking the entrance to Whitefish Bay. It is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The light emits a white color.
Why it matters: Whitefish Point is known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" due to numerous shipwrecks. All vessels entering or exiting Lake Superior must pass near this point.
Background
The Whitefish Point Light is a lighthouse located in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the southeastern shores of Lake Superior, it sits at the edge of Whitefish Point leading to Whitefish Bay. Constructed in 1849 by congress, it is the oldest operating lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula. All vessels entering or exiting Lake Superior pass near Whitefish Point. The area is infamously known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" due to the high number of shipwrecks in the area, most famously the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.
The lighthouse is part of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum complex, which contains numerous relics from shipwrecks of the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve, including the bell of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. The lighthouse itself was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and again as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974.Light & Optic
Characteristic Signature
Fl W 20s
- Flash Type
- Flashing
- Light Color
- White
- Flash Count
- 1 flash
- Interval
- 20s
- Focal Height
- 24m
- Light Range
- 15NM (27.8 km)
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1861
- Heritage Status
- Michigan state historic site
References & Identifiers
- Wikipedia
- Read on Wikipedia →
- Wikidata
- Q7995888 →
- OpenStreetMap
- View on OSM →
Tower & Structure
- Tower Height
- 23m
Location
- City
- Whitefish Bay/Lake Superior, MI
- Country
- 🇺🇸US
- Latitude
- 46.7711°
- Longitude
- -84.9575°
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