1886 Lighthouse
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The 1886 Lighthouse was the first Lighthouse for the City of Two Rivers. Made almost entirely of wood, it is one of few original wooden structures left on the Great Lakes. Originally, it stood on the north pier of the Two Rivers Harbor where it served the citizens of Two Rivers until 1969. It was moved onto the museum grounds in 1975. This silent sentinel witnessed many surf boats, life saving craft, and Coast Guard boats leave the harbor in search of wrecked ships and stranded passengers. While the keeper did not live in the Lighthouse, he had a lonely and dangerous job, nevertheless. The quarters included a stove, cot, chamber pot, and chair and table for his long hours on watch. Often the catwalk which led to the Lighthouse was covered with snow. On windy and wave pounding days, it was a perilous walk from shore to the quarters and the Lighthouse itself could sway in the wind. In 1928, storm damage from wave action damaged the thirty foot high north side of the Lighthouse. It was repaired, but was one of the main reasons why metal material replaced wood construction by 1900. Fire was another reason so many wooden Lighthouses were lost. Two Rivers' North Pier lighthouse is a type of lighthouse known as a pierhead light. This means that its primary duty was to mark a harbor entrance and serve as a navigation aid to ships entering the harbor. This type of light is different from the warning lights commonly located on points, rocks or reefs that many people are familiar with i.e. the rotating, white, beacons that warn ships of dangerous points and instruct them to stay well away. The permanent light was a 240 degree Fresnel lens. Unfortunately, the lens was broken when the light house was moved from the Coast Guard property to the corner of Rogers Street and 21st street in 1975. Currently, the museum is in the process of replicating the original light. The Lighthouse has now become somewhat of an official symbol of Two Rivers. It attracts lighthouse buffs from all over the country and is featured in many lighthouse guidebooks and magazine articles.
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