NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATIONNFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATIONOMB No. 1024-0018

Page 1

United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

1. NAME OF PROPERTY
Historic Name:GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATIONOther Name/Site Number:

2. LOCATION
Street & Number:
City/Town:
State: IL

Not for publication:

2601 Sheridan Rd.

Vicinity:

Evanston
County: Cook

Code: 031

3. CLASSIFICATION
Ownership of Property
Private:Public-Local: X
Public-State: _Public-Federal:

Category of Property
Building(s): __District:
X
Site:
__
Structure:__
Object:__Number of Resources within Property
Contributing
5

Noncontributing__ buildings
sites
structures
objects
Total

Number of Contributing Resources Previously Listed in the National Register 5
Name of Related Multiple Property Listing:

Zip Code: 60201

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

4. STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATIONAs the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certifythat this __ nomination __ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards forregistering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional
requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property __ meets __ does not meet the
National Register Criteria.

Signature of Certifying Official

Date

State or Federal Agency and Bureau

In my opinion, the property __ meets __ does not meet the National Register criteria.

Signature of Commenting or Other Official

Date

State or Federal Agency and Bureau

5. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CERTIFICATIONI hereby certify that this property is:Entered in the National Register
Determined eligible for the National Register
Determined not eligible for the National Register
Removed from the National Register
Other (explain): __________________

Signature of Keeper

Date of Action

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

Page 3

United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

6. FUNCTION OR USE
Historic:

TRANSPORTATION

Sub: Water-related

Current:

RECREATION & CULTURE

Sub: Museum/Outdoor recreation

7. DESCRIPTIONARCHITECTURAL CLASSIFICATION:LATE VICTORIAN/Italianate

MATERIALS (tower):Foundation: CONCRETE/wooden pilings
Walls:
BRICK/Concrete
Roof:
ASPHALT shingle, COPPER sheeting, SLATEOther:

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

Describe Present and Historic Physical Appearance.
INTRODUCTION
The Grosse Point Lighthouse was constructed in 1873 as the lead navigational marker in waters
just north of Chicago Harbor, acting as a vital link in the maritime transportation network of theUnited States. For 67 years, it functioned to ensure the safe passage of commerce and people
over a water-borne route pivotal in connecting the Great Lakes with both the Gulf Coast andAtlantic Seaboard. 1 The light was deactivated in 1941 and has since been under theadministration of Evanston's Lighthouse Park District.2 During daylight hours the site's close
proximity to an undeveloped lakefront sets the stage for viewing the lighthouse and adjoining
structures. Today, the land and lighthouse buildings form a museum park for educational andrecreational purposes.
THE GROSSE POINT LIGHTHOUSE AS BUILT AND MODIFIED
As built in 1873, the site included a light tower with adjoining above ground passageway andfuel storage room that connected to a spacious keepers' quarters. Modifications to the overall siteplan were made in 1880 with the addition of two fog signal buildings and again in 1900 with theconstruction of an additional fuel supply building. The original 1873 structure retains a highdegree of architectural integrity and alterations to the external buildings, constructed at a later
date, are few. These alterations are, however, in keeping with the history of the Lighthouse
Service. As a form of technology by their very nature lighthouses were changed over time.
With the exception of the second fuel storage facility, removed by the federal government prior
to decommissioning, the basic configuration of the site has not changed since 1880.3 All of thebuildings on site are constructed of brick. The light tower, however, was provided with a facingof concrete for extra protection from the natural elements.4
LIGHT TOWER
The primary structure at Grosse Point is the light tower which rests on a foundation of concrete
and wooden piles to a depth of 30 feet. The tower consists of two walls with an inner air space
between them. The inside wall is 8 inches thick and rises vertically to the top, while the outerwall is 12 inches thick and inclines giving the tower a conical shape. The tower is 22 feet aroundat the base and tapers to 13 feet, 3 inches at the parapet. The top is surmounted by a lanternconstructed of iron and glass with a roof made from copper sheeting and topped by a ventilating

Mary Jane Rice, Chicago: Port to the World (Follett Pub. Co., 1969) p. 155; Report to the Mayor andAlderman of the City of Chicago (Chicago Harbor Commission, 1909) p. 18; J. Edwin Becht, Commodity Origins,
Traffic & Markets Accessible to Chicago Via the Illinois Waterway (Illinois River Carriers Assn., 1952) p. 122 Chicago Daily Tribune (July 16,1935)
Donald J. Terras, Grosse Point Lighthouse: Landmark to Maritime History and Culture (Windy City
Press, 1995)
4

Ibid, p.96

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Formball with lightning rod. There are circular galleries around the top of the tower and lantern withsupports typical of the Italianate period in American architecture.5
From the base of the tower to ventilating ball, the tower rises 113 feet from the ground. Theinterior of the light tower is accessed from the fuel supply room through original cast iron doors.
A 141-step spiral iron staircase inside of the tower provides access to the structure's lantern. The
historic integrity of this structure is intact, including the original Fresnel lens optic.
PASSAGEWAY & ADJOINING FUEL SUPPLY ROOM
The 1873 architectural design also included an above ground passageway that connects thekeepers' quarters to the fuel supply facility and light tower. The passageway is built as anextension from the base of the tower and leads first to a fuel supply room and then continues to
the keepers quarters. The fuel supply room was traditionally used to store oil and later became an
office/work room for the keepers. It is 16 feet wide by 10 feet long with a ceiling height of 9 feet,
6 inches. The interior of this room has wainscotting of pine beadboard 3 feet from the floor on
one side of the room and 5 feet from the floor on the other. The exterior crest of the roof is 18
feet in height and projecting from one side is a chimney. The exterior of the structure isdistinguished by two windows with corbeled arches at their top. The historic integrity of thisfacility is intact. Today, its interior has been restored to the period ca. 1900 and is part of Grosse
Point's museum exhibit area.
The above ground passageway is 41 feet in length, terminating at two rear entrances to thekeepers quarters building. Removed by the federal government upon automation (de-staffing) of
the light station in 1935, the passageway was reconstructed in 1984 using the original 1873
specifications. The interior ceiling height is 8 feet and the exterior roof crests at 14 feet andtapers down to 12 feet at the eave. Corbeled window arches and Italianate brackets under theeaves of these structures are common design elements shared with adjoining buildings. Today,
this facility is also in use as an exhibit area.6
KEEPERS' QUARTERS
This building has retained a high degree of historical integrity over the years and the exteriorremains little changed from its 1873 appearance. The keepers' quarters is connected to the fuelsupply room and light tower by way of the passageway. This structure is built in a style typical of
the Italianate period in American architecture7 and its design conforms to that of a 2^-story brickduplex containing two distinct living quarters for the light keeper and assistant. Like the exteriorof the building, the quarters inside are designed as mirror images of one another, each having afull basement, seven rooms for living space, an attic, and a brick woodshed that also doubled as aroot cellar. Carved wooden supports are present under the eaves of the roof and are a consistent
Stephen R., Knutson, AIA, 1234 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60202 (847) 869-3850, Consulting
Architect, Grosse Point Lighthouse, Personal Communication: Dec. 8, 1997
6 Ibid, p. 74
Knutson, Personal Communication: Dec. 8, 1997

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

design element carried throughout the keepers' quarters, providing continuity with the connecting
passageway, fuel supply facility and light tower. These supports, along with the millwork
exhibited in the design of the two porches, add ornate details to the building as do the distinctive
corbeled brick arches over the windows. The interior configuration of the building is intact andconforms to 1873 specifications.
The first floor of the north side of the building is being used as a small museum and has been
made handicapped accessible in compliance with federal ADA guidelines. This was done byproviding access to the building through the north woodshed to an electric lift. The lift isconcealed by the woodshed, so the exterior integrity of the building has not been compromised.
Handicapped access to the second floor washroom facility in the keepers quarters was not
required because of the presence of an ADA washroom facility in the north fog signal building.
All educational exhibits conform to the interior design of the structure and they do not block or
obstruct windows or any other architectural detail that would compromise the integrity of theexterior view of the building. The south side of the keepers quarters is still used for its original
intent as living quarters for a keeper.8 The uses for rooms on this side of the building haveremained the same over the years and there has been no alteration to the interior configuration.
OUTBUILDINGS -1880 & 1900
As an addition to the original 1873 site plan, two single-story brick fog signal buildings wereconstructed in 1880. These are located immediately east of the adjoining keepers' quarters,
passageway, and light tower on the edge of a 22-foot bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. They are
made of brick and designed as simple gable-roofed rectangular single-story structures measuring
20 by 12 feet and 15 by 12 feet. Both structures measure 15 feet in height. There have been few
exterior modifications to these structures; however, they do not exhibit the corbeled brickarchways over windows and doors, or other ornate details, that are a consistent design element in
the original 1873 structures. Steam-powered sirens were originally installed in the buildings but
gave way to steam whistles in 1892 which were eventually removed from the buildings by thefederal government in 1922. Today, the foghorn houses remain and are being adaptively used asinterpretive centers with exhibits for educational programming.9
Also, a second fuel storage facility was built in 1900. This was a single story gable-roofed
rectangular brick structure measuring 8 by 10 by 12 feet in height. Upon electrification of Grosse
Point's beacon in 1923, this structure was no longer required and was razed by the federal
government.10

Op.cit, Terras, p. 97
9 Ibid
10 Ibid

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMBNo. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

Page?

United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

8. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Certifying official has considered the significance of this property in relation to other properties:
Nationally: X Statewide:__ Locally:__
Applicable National
Register Criteria:

A X B

Criteria Considerations(Exceptions):A

NHL Criteria:

1 and 4

NHL Theme(s):Maritime Heritage of the U.S. (Lighthouses)

Areas of Significance:

Maritime History (1674, 1873-1941)
Transportation (1873-1941)
Architecture (1873)
Engineering (1850, 1935)

Period(s) of Significance:

1873-1941

Significant Dates:

1873, 1935, 1941

C X D

B

D

G

Significant Person(s):Cultural Affiliation:

N/A

Architect/Builder:

Orlando M. Poe, Federal Government, U.S. Lighthouse Establishment

Historic Context
XIV. Transportation
B. Ships, Boats, Lighthouse, and Other Structures

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

State Significance of Property, and Justify Criteria, Criteria Considerations, and Areas and Periods ofSignificance Noted Above.
INTRODUCTION
The 1873 Grosse Point Lighthouse is located on a promontory that thrusts out from the mainland
into the waters of Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois.1 These buildings stand at an historically
pivotal location where this country's maritime transportation network connected East Coast,
Great Lakes, and Gulf Coast shipping interests.2 In recognition of the importance of thislighthouse to maritime navigation, Grosse Point Lighthouse was fitted with the first second-order
Fresnel lens on the Great Lakes. These devices were engineering marvels of their day and Grosse
Point has the largest Fresnel lens on the Great Lakes. It is the only one of its kind operating there
today (USCG Class 2). For 67 years, Grosse Point Lighthouse helped safely guide lakeborne
vessels through one of America's most commercially important and highly travelled corridors
over waters north of Chicago's harbor. The history of this structure acts as a tangible reminder of
how pioneer exploration and subsequent development of the interior of the United States relied
on inland waterways.
The preceding statement of significance is based on the more detailed statements that follow.
ROLE IN MARITIME TRANSPORTATION

Exploration and mapping of North America's interior began in the 17th century as Frenchvoyageurs opened trade networks with Native Americans that took them through the Great
Lakes. The promontory of land known as Grosse Point (Great Point) was named by these earlypioneers. In fact, explorer and Jesuit Missionary Jacques Marquette's diary has a reference tocamping on "Grosse Pointe" on Dec. 3 during his 1674 expedition to what would become
Chicago. This promontory of land has continued to be called Grosse Point.3
Travel through the Lakes increased over the years that followed as settlers moved westward.
Most important to this growth and expansion was the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 andthe Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848. These two waterways created an inland shippingtransportation network that connected the Atlantic Seaboard with the Great Lakes andMississippi River south to the Gulf Coast.4 The result was a tremendous boom in the shipping
industry, which relied on Chicago's harbor and shipping lanes in and out of the city to transport
The Grosse Point Light Station was previously documented for the National Register of Historic Placesin 1976 by Theodore Hild of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
2 Mary Jane Rice, Chicago: Port to the World (FolletPub. Co., 1969) p. 155
Reuben G. Thwaites, Travels and Explorations ofJesuit Missionaries in New France 1610-1791, Vol.
59 entry under D ecemb er 3, 1674, (Burrows Bros. Publ. 1 900); A.T. Andreas, The History of Cook County Illinois(1884), p. 51; Raphael M. Hamilton, Marquette's Explorations: The Narratives Re-Examined (U. of Wisconsin
Press, 1970)p. 144-145
T. Karamanski, Historic Lighthouses and Navigational Aids of the Illinois Shore of Lake Michigan(Loyola University & Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 1989) pp. 2-3

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Formgoods. The hinterland that surrounds Chicago's port is the most extensive and productive of any
serving the Great Lakes. It is the most productive area of large scale commercial agriculture in
the world, an area which produces large surpluses for export and which consequently is atremendous market for manufactured goods directly imported from other parts of the country andoverseas.5 Soon, the western states were transformed into the grain basket of the industrial
northeast and Great Lakes sailing ships were a key link in the food chain. By 1870, Chicago
rivaled New York, Boston, and San Francisco as the busiest center for maritime commerce in the
country.6 This growth continued over the next decade and by 1888, the Port of Chicago had
20,000 arrivals and departures of major vessels in its weather-shortened eight-month shipping
season compared to New York's 23,000 over an entire twelve-month season. Grosse Point lay at
the axis of this activity and the waters around its shore came to have some of the most heavily
traveled shipping lanes in the country.7
Coupled with this heavy ship traffic was the fact that waters around Grosse Point were laden withlow lying shoals. The years between 1851 and 1873 were marked by no less than 28 shipwrecks.8
This total includes the wreck of Lady Elgin, a tragedy many maritime historians consider to be
the worst on the Great Lakes. A passenger steamer, Lady Elgin was chartered from Milwaukee
for an excursion to Chicago on September 7, 1860, by a group of political activists attending arally in support of Stephen A. Douglas for U.S. President On their return journey home, the ship
collided with a lumber carrying schooner Augusta heading for Grosse Point from the northernreaches of Lake Michigan. Nearly 300 people died in this tragedy as Lady Elgin sank beneath thewaves. Shortly after this disaster, the federal government was petitioned for a lighthouse on
Grosse Point but the Civil War interrupted progress towards congressional approval.
In 1872, in response to the increase in ship traffic and treacherous natural conditions, theLighthouse Service ordered the construction of a navigational aid on Grosse Point.9 When Grosse
Point Lighthouse was built in 1873, the federal government assigned its use as the leadnavigational marker for vessels entering or leaving these important and busy shipping lanes. 10 In
helping ships traverse these waters, the Grosse Point Lighthouse became one of the mostcommercially valuable navigational aids to the shipping industry in the country.
BRIEF OPERATIONAL HISTORY
After completion of Grosse Point Light Station, a principal keeper and assistant were assigned toduty there. In its 67-year history as a commissioned lighthouse, Grosse Point had ten principal
Harold M. Mayer, The Port of Chicago and St. Lawrence Seaway (U. of Chicago Press, 1957) pp. 120121
6

Op.cit, Karamanski, p. 9

7 IbidpMark S. Braun, Chicago's North Shore Shipwrecks (Transportation Trails Press, 1992) p. 81
Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board, 1870, (Washington D.C., Govt. Print. Office)

10 Charles K. Hyde, The Northern Lights (Wayne State University Press, 1987)p. 20

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USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

keepers. Of these, the most notable was Edwin J. Moore who served at Grosse Point from 1888
to his death at the age of seventy-three in 1924. A stern and authoritarian man, he assumed thetitle of "Captain", instead of keeper, which was more descriptive of his leadership style. Initially,
there was only one assistant keeper but, with its increasing importance to the shipping industry,
Grosse Point came to have two assistant keepers and a day laborer. In addition to maintaining thelight and buildings, it was common for these keepers to work in tandem with the U.S. Life
Saving Station at nearby Northwestern University. For example, in August of 1885 the schooner
Jamaica sprung a leak in the middle of Lake Michigan. Her captain steered the ailing vessel
toward Grosse Point but stranded it on the shoals some five miles distant where it was seen fromthe lighthouse tower. The Life Saving crew was summoned and successfully rescued everyone
on board. This kind of dedication to duty is exemplary of the U. S. Lighthouse Service, andGrosse Point Lighthouse had a reputation within the Service as one of the best managed
lighthouses on the Great Lakes. Eventually, electrification came to Grosse Point in 1923 and thestation was decommissioned (not staffed) and the light automated in 1935. In 1941, the light was
extinguished completely when lighted buoys were put in place seven miles offshore. The light
was re-lit, however, in February of 1946 and now serves as a private aid to navigation (USCG
Class 2).
CAREER AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ORLANDO METCALFE POE
The architect who designed Grosse Point Lighthouse, Orlando Metcalfe Poe, was a Civil War
veteran, superintending engineer, and engineer secretary for the Lighthouse Board. Poe's
importance to the history of the United States lay in his service during the Civil War andengineering work on the Great Lakes after the conflict. As General Sherman's Chief Engineer,
Poe was instrumental in Union victories in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. Through his workwith the Lighthouse Service, he was responsible for improvements that resulted in the expansionof maritime transportation routes through the Great Lakes, developing commerce and industry
there. As an individual, Poe made significant contributions to a developing country in war andpeace.
Born on March 7, 1832, at Navarre, Ohio, Poe entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1852 andgraduated sixth in his class in 1856. His first appointment was as assistant topographical engineer
on the survey of the northern Great Lakes from 1856-1861 during which time he attained therank of first lieutenant. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Poe helped organize the Ohiovolunteers and later became a member of General McClellan's staff where he assisted inorganizing the defenses of Washington D.C. against Confederate forces. Appointed colonel ofthe 2nd Michigan Volunteers on Sept. 16, 1861, he successfully commanded that regiment
during the Peninsular campaign and during the Maryland campaign was commissioned brigadiergeneral Nov. 29, 1862. 11 He later served as chief engineer of the XXIII Army Corps in thecapture of Confederate forces occupying Knoxville, Tennessee. Poe then became chief engineerof the Army of the Ohio, successfully directing the defense of Knoxville and repelling
Confederate General James Longstreef s assaults on that city.12 In April, 1864, General W.T.

11 EJ. Warner, Generals in Blue (Louisiana State U. Press, 1964) pp. 375-376
12 Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vols. 3 & 4, 1884-87, Sentry Magazine, New York,N.Y.

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

Sherman selected Poe as his chief engineer. With Sherman, he was honored for gallant services
in the capture of Atlanta and Savannah, and for gallant and meritorious service in the campaign
ending with the surrender of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston.13
Poe's brilliant military career was, however, overshadowed by his accomplishments after the war.
First and foremost an engineer, Poe's work on the Great Lakes was instrumental in forging atransportation network that would benefit the development of maritime commerce and industry
in the United States. From 1865-70, Poe served as engineer secretary of the Lighthouse Board
charged with the supervision and management of building projects.14 In 1870, he became
engineer of the Upper Lakes Lighthouse District and superintendent of all river and harbor workin the Great Lakes region. In 1883, Poe became superintending engineer of improvement ofrivers and harbors on Lakes Superior and Huron, where one of his most important projects was
the development of the St. Mary's Falls Canal (designated an NHL in 1966) and St. Mary's Riverbetween Lakes Superior and Huron. Poe's work here improved these important waterways so thatthey were navigable to the ever increasing size of ships traversing these waters. He also had
charge of improvements made to the Detroit River and the ship channel between Chicago,
Duluth, and Buffalo. He designed and superintended construction of the locks at Sault St. Marie,
one of which is named "Poe Lock" in his honor.15 This project, more than any other, wasinstrumental in the development of the steel industry and commerce on the Great Lakes as it
permitted the large iron hulled ore carrying vessels from mining regions bordering Lake Superior
to access the lower Great Lakes and Atlantic seaboard. Eight hundred feet long and 100 feetwide, in its time, the Poe Lock was the largest in the world. Orlando Metcalfe Poe died in Detroit
on Oct. 2, 1895. 16
ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING SIGNIFICANCE
The most significant architectural aspect about Grosse Point Lighthouse is its degree of integrity.
The original 1873 structure represents an intact lake coastal light station type, typical of thevernacular from the period.17 The most common design for lighthouses on the Great Lakes formost of the nineteenth century consisted of a keeper's dwelling made of wood, stone, or brick,with the light exhibited in a lantern built into the roof or mounted on an attached square tower.18
In later years, taller lake coastal towers, like Grosse Point, were needed as shipping lanes moved
away from the shoreline. The most common design for such structures was a conical brick tower,
between 80 and 100 feet tall, connected to the keeper's house by an enclosed above ground

13

T,.j

Ibid
G. Weiss, The Lighthouse Service (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1926) p. 94
D. Malone, ed., Dictionary of American Biography (Scribnefs, 1935) pp. 28-29

16 Detroit Free Press, Oct. 3,1895
Stephen R. Knutson, AIA, Personal Communication: Dec. 8, 1997-| p

Op.cit,Hyde, p.

22

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

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GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Formpassageway. 19 At 113 feet, Grosse Point is the fourth tallest light on the Great Lakes and is thetallest lake coastal light situated on the mainland of these inland waterways.20
Grosse Point Lighthouse has maintained its historic lake coastal architectural integrity andexhibits the complementary details of design and craftsmanship representative of this period. The
keepers' quarters, reconstructed passageway, adjoining fuel supply room, and tower, are intact
with no change in the number, type, or kind of windows and doorways. The degree ofarchitectural and engineering integrity exhibited at Grosse Point contrasts with other historicallyimportant coastal lights on the Great Lakes from this period such as: Big Sable, Michigan(1867); Little Sable, Michigan (1874); St. Helena, Michigan (1873); Thirty Mile Point, NewYork (1875); Presque Isle, Pennsylvania (1873); and Wind Point, Wisconsin, (1880).21 None ofthese lights, for example, has maintained their original optic and Thirty Mile Point has no optic
at all.22 In addition, at Little Sable Light, the keepers quartets has been demolished and at Big
Sable Light, the 1867 tower was encased in steel plates in 1900.23 When the light at Presque Isle
was deactivated, the Coast Guard removed the lantern.24 St. Helena was, until recently,
abandoned; the roof of the lantern was missing and the keepers quarters subjected to vandalism
since it's deactivation.25
Grosse Point Lighthouse is located in an affluent community where the federal government could
showpiece the facility to many influential neighbors including former U.S. Vice President (19211925) Charles G. Dawes; philanthropist W. Clement Stone, founder of Washington National
Insurance Co.; Harley Clark, president of Commonwealth Edison power company; Charles
Deering, founder of International Harvester; and various presidents of Northwestern University
whose campus home is one block west of the lighthouse.
Original Fresnel Lens Optic
Grosse Point Lighthouse contains the only remaining second-order Fresnel lens on the Great
Lakes.26 Constructed by Henri LePaute in Paris, France, in 1850, this apparatus was used tointensify Grosse Point's beacon of light so that it was visible at ranges close to 20 miles. This

19 Op.cit, Hyde, p. 23
20

TU .j

Ibid

21 C. Clifford, 1994 Inventory of Historic Light Stations (Washington, B.C., NationalPark Service, 1994)
pp. 167, 182, 203,255, 279, 355
22

TU .j

Ibid

23 Op.cit, Hyde, pp. 121, 118
24 Op.cit, Clifford, p. 279
25

Michigan Natural Resources Magazine, Summer 1991

26 Op.cit, Hyde, p. 135

NFS Form 10-900

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United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Formlens was the largest of its kind ever used on the Great Lakes27 and it was placed in service at
Grosse Point in recognition that this lighthouse was to be "the largest and most importantlighthouse in the district."28 It was the first of five second-order lenses put in service on the Great
Lakes,29 and today is the last second-order lens in operation on these inland waterways.30 It israre for an historic lighthouse to contain its original lens in situ. For example, on the Great
Lakes, only three others besides Grosse Point have retained their Fresnel lenses in place since
being installed: a fourth-order lens at Little Traverse Harbor, Michigan (1884), a third-order lensat Split Rock, Minnesota (1910), and a third-order lens at Presque Isle Light, Michigan (1871).31
Engineering Technology, 1935 & 1944
Grosse Point Lighthouse was staffed with a principal keeper and assistant(s) from 1873 until it
was automated in 1935. Advancements in electrical engineering made it possible to use aphotoelectric device to turn a lighthouse beacon on and off, and it was at Grosse Point
Lighthouse that the federal government first tested this important new technology. Its subsequent
adoption would pave the way for its use in light stations all over the United States andpermanently change the Lighthouse Service by eliminating the need for keepers.32
During World War II, Grosse Point's light tower was used in experiments by the United States
National Defense Research Committee. Dr. Bartholomew Spence and Dr. Robert Cashman,physicists from nearby Northwestern University, were a part of this committee who conducted
experiments for the Navy centering on the development of photocells that would detect infrared
light. In 1944, the two scientists used Grosse Point's tower for sending and receiving infraredemissions, helping to refine these sensing devices for use in advanced radar detection systems
that would more accurately monitor Ihe movements of enemy aircraft. Prototypes of these cells
were used in the war and their descendants have become important in optical communications
systems and in infrared astronomy.33

27

TU .,
Ibid

? p

Letter from the 9th District to the Lighthouse Board, File 4351, Record Group 26, National Archives,
Washington, D.C.
n Q

Op.cit, Weiss, p. 94; Op.cit, Hyde, (a) Grosse Point Lighthouse activated March 1, 1874 (p. 134); (b)Spectacle Reef Lighthouse activated June 1, 1874 (p. 100); (c) Stannard Rock Lighthouse activated July 4, 1882 (p.
171); (d) White Shoal Lighthouse activated September 1, 1910 (pg. 104); (e) Rock of Ages Lighthouse activatedSeptember 1, 1910 (p. 179)
30 Op.cit, Clifford
Ibid, Little Traverse, Michigan, p. 182; Presque Isle, Michigan, p. 195; Split Rock, Minnesota, p. 212
32

Letter from C. Hubbard, Superintendent of Lighthouses, to Commissioner of Lighthouses, March 20,
1934. Record Group 26, File 401E Natl. Archives; Milwaukee Journal, March 8, 193433

Dr. Irving Klotz, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University U.S. National Defense ResearchCommittee Member during WWII, Personal communication: August 18, 1995; Northwestern University Archives:
Bartholomew Spence Papers; Jaques Cattell, American Men of Science (Arizona State University, 1960); J.P.Baxter
III, Scientists Against Time (M.I.T. Press, 1968)

NFS Form 10-900

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

Page 14

United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

CURRENT USE
Today, the light station buildings and property are part of a museum/park complex for
educational and recreational purposes. It is the only maritime history museum in the Chicago
area. The lighthouse buildings have benefitted from a preservation plan, submitted in 1978, thatis based on the original 1872 blueprints. Since this time, the Lighthouse Park District hasreceived several awards from the City of Evanston Preservation Commission and Landmark
Preservation Council of Illinois for its dedication to preserving and interpreting this historic
structure. Recently, restoration activities on site were the focus of a nationally televised report on
CNN. The lighthouse benefits from having a broad base of local public support that will ensure
its survival for the benefit of future generations.

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Page 15
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
Andreas, A.T., The History of Cook County Illinois (Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1884)
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vols. 3 and 4,1884-87, Sentry Magazine, New York, NY
Baxter, J.P., Scientists Against Time (M.I.T. Press, 1968)
Becht, J. Edwin, Commodity Origins, Traffic & Markets Accessible to Chicago Via the Illinois
Waterway (Illinois River Carriers Association, 1952)
Braun, Mark S., Chicago's North Shore Shipwrecks (Transportation Trails Press, 1992)
Cattell, Jaques, American Men of Science (Arizona State University, 1960)
Clifford, C., 1994 Inventory ofHistoric Light Stations (National Park Service, 1994)
Hamilton, Raphael M., Marquette's Explorations: The Narratives Re-Examined (U. of Wisconsin
Press, 1970)
History of the Great Lakes (J.H. Beers & Co., 1899)
Hyde, Charles K., The Northern Lights (Wayne State University Press, 1987)
Karamanski, T. Ed., Historic Lighthouses and Navigational Aids of the Illinois Shore ofLake
Michigan (Loyola University & Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 1989)
Malone, D. Ed., Dictionary ofAmerican Biography (Scribner's Press, 1935)
Mayer, Harold M., The Port of Chicago (U. of Chicago Press, 1957)
Rice, Mary J., Chicago: Port to the World (Follet Publishers, 1969)
Terras, Donald J., Grosse Point Lighthouse: Landmark to Maritime History and Culture (Windy
City Press, 1995)
Thwaites, Reuben G., Travels and Explorations ofJesuit Missionaries in New France, 16101791, Vol. 59 (Burrows Bros. Publ., 1900)
Warner, E.J., Generals in Blue (Louisiana State University Press, 1964)
Weiss, G., The Lighthouse Service (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1926)

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATIONOMB No. 1024-0018

Page 16

United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service______________________________________National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

Previous documentation on file (NPS):
__
X
__
__
__

Preliminary Determination of Individual Listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested.
Previously Listed in the National Register.
Previously Determined Eligible by the National Register.
Designated a National Historic Landmark.
Recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey: #______
Recorded by Historic American Engineering Record: #_Primary Location of Additional Data:
X
__
X
X
__
X

State Historic Preservation Office
Other State Agency
Federal Agency
Local Government
University
Other (Specify Repository):
Evanston Historical Society
225 Greenwood St.
Evanston, IL 60201

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMBNo. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION

Page 17

United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

10. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA
Acreage of Property: 3.5 acres
UTM References:
A

Zone Easting
16
444700

Northing
4656860

Verbal Boundary Description:
Area includes all the land bounded by Sheridan Rd. on the west to the lakeshore on the east. The
north boundary is delineated by a white "Kentucky" rail fence. The south boundary is delineatedby a private driveway. The lot or parcel identification number is 0535408026.
Boundary Justification:
The boundary includes the tower, keeper's quarters, reconstructed passageway, adjoining fuelsupply room, and fog signal buildings that have historically been part of the orginal Grosse Point
Light Station and that maintain historic integrity.

NFS Form 10-900

USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

GROSSE POINT LIGHT STATION
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Page 18
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

11. FORM PREPARED BY
Name/Title: Donald J. Terras, M.S.
Lecturer
Dept. of Anthropology
Northeastern Illinois University
5500 N.St. Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
Phone: (847) 864-3987

NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS SURVEY
AUGUSTS, 1998