Detroit River Light

Detroit River Light
Undated USCG photo
Map
LocationLake Erie
south of Detroit River, Monroe County, near Berlin Charter Township
Coordinates42°0′2.7″N 83°8′26.45″W / 42.000750°N 83.1406806°W / 42.000750; -83.1406806
Tower
Constructed1875 (lightship)
1885 (current tower)
FoundationWood/cement crib, Granite pier
ConstructionCast iron with brick lining
Automated1979
Height49 feet (15 m)
Shapefrustum of a cone with attached building[1]
MarkingsWhite with black top
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place, Michigan state historic site Edit this on Wikidata
Fog signalHorn: 1 every 30s
RaconX
Light
Focal height55 feet (17 m)
Lens4th order Fresnel lens
Range10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi)
CharacteristicFl(2) W 6s
Detroit River Light Station
Nearest cityRockwood, Michigan[3]
Area0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
Built1884
ArchitectDavis C.E.L.B.
MPSU.S. Coast Guard Lighthouses and Light Stations on the Great Lakes TR
NRHP reference No.83000886[2]
Added to NRHPAugust 04, 1983

The Detroit River Light, also known as Bar Point Shoal Light, was first established as a lightship in 1875. The current sparkplug lighthouse was built in 1885.[4][5][6][7][8] It sits in Lake Erie, south of the mouth of the Detroit River, 1.75 nautical miles (3.24 km; 2.01 mi) from land and about 20 nautical miles (23 mi; 37 km) from the Ambassador Bridge in the Detroit River. It is about 0.4 nautical miles (0.74 km; 0.46 mi) from the border with Canada,[9] and just under 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi) from Put-in-Bay, Ohio.[10] Its original 4th order Fresnel lens is on loan to the Michigan Maritime Museum.[6]

  1. ^ Pepper, Terry. "Database of Lighthouse Types and Tower Shapes". Seeing the Light. terrypepper.com. Archived from the original on 2009-11-15.
  2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
  3. ^ Certain documents list the Detroit River Light as being part of or being closest to the city of Rockwood, Michigan. As the closest city, Rockwood is in Wayne County, but the lighthouse is within the northernmost water boundaries of Berlin Charter Township in Monroe County. However, the Detroit River Light is owned and operated by the United States Coast Guard and is therefore not under the jurisdiction of any municipality.
  4. ^ Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, Bar Point Shoal/Detroit River Light ARLHS USA-227.
  5. ^ Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, World List of Lights. Archived April 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b Rowlett, Russ (2009-11-13). "Lighthouses of the United States: Michigan's Eastern Lower Peninsula". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  7. ^ Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2009. p. 74.
  8. ^ "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Michigan". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  9. ^ NOAA Chart 14848 Detroit River Michigan Extension
  10. ^ Photo of Detroit River Light.