New England Lighthouse Treasures

After ten weeks of reviewing 185 applications for the job as Lighthouse Caretakers for Wind Point Lighthouse, the Village Board hired two Lighthouse Lovers who met at a Lighthouse, were later married at a Lighthouse, and now a dream come true, they will live in a Lighthouse.

On 09/13/2007, the Wind Point Village Board appointed Michael and Susan Arts of Racine, Wisconsin as the new caretakers of the Wind Point Lighthouse. Both Lighthouse Lovers met at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina and later exchanged wedding vows at Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse in South Carolina.

Both Lighthouse Lovers are excited about moving into their Lighthouse home. As ambassadors to Wind Point Village and Caretakers for Wind Point Lighthouse, both Lighthouse Lovers will enjoy free living accommodations without wages. Fortunately, they will not have to carry five-gallon cans (34-pounds) of kerosene up 144 steps to the Light to keep it shining!

Wind Point Lighthouse was First Lit in 1880 exhibiting a Flashing White Light every 30-seconds illuminated by a Third-order Fresnel Lens and three-wick kerosene lamp 111-feet above lake level to a visible range of 17 nautical miles. The tallest Lighthouse on Lake Michigan guided mariners way from Wind Point and a nearby hazardous reef on their approach to Racine Harbor, Wisconsin.

Wind Point Village leased the Light Station from 1964 to 1997 when the National Park service transfered the property with the provision that the Village maintained the Lighthouse as historic site.

Currently, Wind Point Lighthouse is an Active aid to navigation exhibiting a Flashing White Light every 20-seconds illuminated by a modern DCB-24 Aerobeacon 111-feet above lake level to a visible range of 28 nautical miles. The original Third-order “bee-hive” Fresnel lens is on display at the Village Hall.

The Lighthouse is open for public tours the first Sunday of the month from July to October. Visitors climb 144 iron spiral steps for a beautiful picturesque view of Lake Michigan. Due to a $140,000 tower restoration, the Lighthouse will be closed for the September and October Tour dates this year.

For Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of Wind Point Lighthouse.

Related News Story:
New Lighthouse Caretakers in Southeast Wisconsin

Technorati Tags: lighthouse, Lighthouse Caretakers hired to keep Wind Point Lighthouse, Wind Point Lighthouse, Racine, Wisconsin

This entry was authored and posted by Debbie Dolphin on Saturday, September 15th, 2007 at 7:50 pm and is filed under Lighthouse Keepers, News. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Comments may be held for moderation, and I reserve the right to delete inappropriate or off-topic comments.