The Chicago Harbor Light, or Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, is an automated active

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

, and stands at the south end of the northern

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island, Antarctica * Breakwater Islands, Nunavut, Canada * ...

protecting the

Chicago Harbor Generally, the Chicago Harbor comprises the public rivers, canals, and lakes within the territorial limits of the City of Chicago and all connecting slips, basins, piers, breakwaters, and permanent structures therein for a distance of three miles ...

, to the east of

Navy Pier Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side, Chicago, Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of shops, restaura ...

and the mouth of the

Chicago River The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). The river is one of the reasons for Chicago's geographic importance: the related Chic ...

History

The light was constructed in 1893 for the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...

and moved to its present site in 1919. The

United States Lighthouse Board The United States Lighthouse Board was the second agency of the U.S. federal government, under the Department of Treasury, responsible for the construction and maintenance of all lighthouses and navigation aids in the United States, between 18 ...

prominently displayed "its 'state of the art' wares and engineering achievements." Prominently featured was "the engineering marvel" of

Spectacle Reef Light Spectacle Reef Light is a lighthouse east of the Straits of Mackinac and is located at the northern end of Lake Huron, Michigan. It was designed and built by Colonel Orlando Metcalfe Poe and Major Godfrey Weitzel, and was the most expensive lig ...

and a skeletal cast iron lighthouse tower. Also displayed at the Exposition were a number of

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens (optics), lens which reduces the amount of material required compared to a conventional lens by dividing the lens into a set of concentric annular sections. The simpler Dioptrics, d ...

es, including a stunning Third Order Fresnel lens which was awarded first prize at a Paris glass exhibition. The lens featured alternating red and white panels, and had been ordered for installation in the

New Point Loma Lighthouse The New Point Loma Lighthouse (officially Point Loma Light) is a lighthouse at the southern tip of the Point Loma peninsula in San Diego, California. History It was first lighted on March 23, 1891, replacing the Old Point Loma Lighthouse which ...

in California. The coincidental conclusion of construction of the new Chicago Harbor light and the close of the Exhibition prompted the Lighthouse Board to keep the lens in Chicago, and thus the lens was installed in the lantern room of the new tower. The original lens has since been removed, and is now on display at

Cabrillo National Monument Cabrillo National Monument () is a U.S. national monument at the southern tip of the Point Loma peninsula in San Diego, California. It commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This event mark ...

in California. Surrounded by

rip rap Riprap (in North American English), also known as rip rap, rip-rap, shot rock, rock armour (in British English) or rubble, is human-placed rock or other material used to protect shoreline structures against scour and water, wave, or ice erosion ...

, the structure has several levels: a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

base and two red roofed buildings with a tapered white cylinder between them which is topped by a

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

and the light itself. In 1917 the

was renovated. At that time, the lighthouse was moved to its present site, and its attached

fog signal A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. ...

room and

boathouse A boathouse (or a boat house) is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. describing the facilities These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats ...

were built. The design is "unique . . . similar to that of the offshore

sparkplug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

towers, but this tower is taller." Except for the additions made at the time of the move, it "bears some resemblance" to the

Rock of Ages Light The Rock of Ages Light is a U.S. Coast Guard lighthouse on a small rock outcropping () approximately west of Washington Island (Michigan), Washington Island and west of Isle Royale, Michigan, Isle Royale, in Eagle Harbor Township, Michigan, Ea ...

near

Isle Royale Isle Royale (, ) is an Islands of the Great Lakes, island of the Great Lakes located in the northwest of Lake Superior and part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The island and the 450 surrounding smaller islands and waters make up Isle Royale Na ...

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

, which is its contemporary. The lighthouse was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on July 19, 1984, and later was designated a

Chicago Landmark Chicago Landmark is a designation by the Mayor and the City Council of Chicago for historic sites in Chicago, Illinois. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artist ...

on April 9, 2003. ChicagoPierBreakwaterLight

In 2005, the light was declared excess by the Coast Guard. It was offered at no cost to eligible entities, including federal, state, and local agencies, non-profit corporations, and educational organizations under the provisions of the

National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA; Public Law 106-355; 16 U.S.C. 470w-7) is United States, American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally owned lighthouses into private hands. It was created a ...

of 2000. After an unusually long delay,

United States Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natura ...

Kenneth Salazar initiated transfer to the City of Chicago on February 24, 2009. The city had designated the lighthouse a Chicago Landmark on April 9, 2003. The Lighthouse's "significant role in the development of Chicago" is commemorated in a

relief sculpture Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

, entitled ''The Spirit of the Waters'' located near the LaSalle Street entrance of

Chicago City Hall The City Hall-County Building, commonly known as City Hall, is a 12-story building in Chicago, Illinois, that houses the Seat of government, seats of government of the Government of Chicago, City of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois, Cook Coun ...

Preservation efforts

In March 2022, Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse (FOCHL), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity was formed with the mission to preserve, restore and celebrate the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. In December of 2023, FOCHL submitted an application to the National Park Service for transfer of ownership of the lighthouse from the City of Chicago to the non-profit.

Views of the light

The light is an active

aid to navigation In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. The ...

, and no access is permitted. A good view of the lighthouse may be had from

, especially at the end of the pier. Better views can be had by boat, including the various tour boats in the area.

References

External links

Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse
* *
Aerial photos, Chicago Breakwater Light, marinas.com.Exceptional photograph of Chicago Harbor Light.Photo of Chicago Harbor light.Satellite view of Chicago Harbor Light by

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panorama, interactive panoramic views of streets (Google Street View, Street View ...

. {{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1893 Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Chicago Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois National Historic Landmarks in Chicago Chicago Landmarks 1893 establishments in Illinois

History

Preservation efforts

Views of the light

References

Further reading

External links