The North Point Lighthouse, the first in Milwaukee, was constructed in 1855. The tower was 28 feet tall, putting the beam from the lighthouse at 107 feet above the water, the highest on the Great Lakes at the time. By the 1870’s, however, the area had become severely eroded and after receiving $15,000 from Congress the lighthouse was moved to its present location 100 feet inland. In the 1890’s the area around the lighthouse was made into a waterfront park designed by none other than Fredrick Law Olmstead, who also designed Grand Central Park in New York.
The lighthouse was not decommissioned until 1994, and immediately afterward plans were made to restore the lighthouse and keeper’s quarters. Milwaukee County acquired the site for historic preservation and park purposes, and in 2002 the North Point Lighthouse Friends, with Milwaukee County as sponsor, applied for TE funding to help with restoration costs. TE supplied $984,000 and the North Point Lighthouse Friends raised an additional $246,000 for a total of $1,230,000 to restore the lighthouse tower and keeper’s quarters.
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