Grosse Point Lighthouse
Posted by: 
Shorelander
N 42° 03.832 W 087° 40.555
16T E 444078 N 4657088
A lighthouse on Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois.
Waymark Code: WM1AM1
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 03/16/2007
Views: 46
Grosse Point lighthouse was built in 1872–3 to aid in navigation along Lake Michigan, the building was named after the piece of land upon which it sits, Gross Point (time led residents to drop the 'e' from the original, French spelling). Shoals off the shore of Gross Point had caused accidents, one being the 1860 collision of the Lady Elgin and the Augusta, leading to approximately 300–400 deaths.
The lighthouse was first illuminated on the first of March, 1874, and stands 113 feet tall. Originally constructed of brick, in 1914 a concrete shell was added for reinforcement. The optic used was a second-order Fresnel lens, visible for up to 21 miles.
In the middle third of the 20th century, the lighthouse's operations would change. A staff reduction in 1923 would foreshadow a 1934 automation, and during World War II the lighthouse would be shut off for defense purposes. It currently serves as a secondary navigational device and is a focal point for area residents.
(Compiled from information from grossepointlighthouse.net)