Bridge the gap between physical space and deep history in this virtual tour of the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse.

PBS Wisconsin Interactive Media, led by Interactive Media Producer Angelina Shi, collaborated with members of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum to compile a historiography of the lighthouse, including Collections Manager Serena Stuettgen, dedicated collections volunteer Carol Gibson and Education and Programming Coordinator Lio O’Shasky.

PBS Wisconsin put the spotlight on O’Shasky to illuminate the history of the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse. Take the virtual tour now at pbswisconsin.org/interactive-media.

PBS Wisconsin: How does the virtual tour capture the essence of an in-person visit to the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse?

Lio O’Shasky: There is nothing like feeling the wind off of Lake Michigan and making the 50-step climb up to the top of the lighthouse in person, but the virtual tour still allows an interested visitor, perhaps someone in another state, another country or someone who physically can’t access the lighthouse, to understand the history that is built into it.

The virtual tour focuses on the history of the lighthouse broadly while also highlighting each level, starting with the basement, before moving up the Power Room and Watch Room, then completing the tour with the Diaphone and Lens Room at the top.

(Credit: Wisconsin Maritime Museum / Image 2012-3-3)

PBS Wisconsin: What can you tell us about the origin of the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse?

O’Shasky: Many people are surprised to learn that the North Breakwater Lighthouse is not the original lighthouse structure [in Manitowoc]. It was installed after the completion of the North Breakwater, which was created to protect docks and piers in the Manitowoc Harbor from Lake Michigan.

The original Manitowoc Lighthouse was actually located on the mainland at the corner of York and Fifth streets. It was built in 1839, and was a very short brick tower, only about 30 feet tall, with an attached keeper’s residence. This original structure served the harbor for 56 years, until 1873 when a new framework lighthouse was built on a pier that extended into the lake. That pierhead lighthouse was later replaced by a foghorn building and then later by the North Breakwater Lighthouse standing today.

A lot of lighthouse structures that are still standing have attached keeper’s dwellings, especially around the Great Lakes. But there was never a lighthouse keeper who lived in the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse. They would always commute to the lighthouse by way of a catwalk over the breakwater or boat.

(Credit: James H. Hopson / Wisconsin Maritime Museum)

PBS Wisconsin: If there was no attached residence at the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse, where did the lighthouse keepers live?

O’Shasky: For about 20 years, keepers for the modern lighthouse lived in a duplex that was located on the same site as the original 1839 lighthouse. In 1935, a new residence was built at the corner of Chicago and North Lake Streets. This was a triple dwelling that housed three keepers and their families who would take shifts to maintain the light. Situated on a hill, it had a great view of the harbor. The residence is still standing in its original location but is now privately owned. You can see it from the Watch Room in the North Breakwater Lighthouse.

PBS Wisconsin: How has the exterior of the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse changed?

O’Shasky: The modern lighthouse we see today was built in 1918 and began operation in the following year. It was originally painted red to match the original color of the Fresnel lens at the top.

There is also some archival evidence that it was painted a buff color in 1939. It didn’t receive its iconic white paint job that we see today until 1956, less than 20 years before it actually became automated in 1971.

(Credit: Wisconsin Maritime Museum)

PBS Wisconsin: What other renovations were made to the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse over the years?

O’Shasky: When the lighthouse’s type F diaphone fog signal was first installed in 1919, some of Manitowoc’s residents found the sound loud and obnoxious. A contemporary report by a local newspaper, the Herald Times Reporter, actually noted that it sounded like a cow in distress. It was so loud that people would rush down to the lakefront to see if a cow had wandered in or gotten lost.

Also, to avoid walking out onto the icy breakwater in the winter months, there was actually an elevated catwalk installed directly above the breakwater that lighthouse keepers would use to access the second floor without having to worry about the waves and ice. The catwalk was removed in the 1970s after the lighthouse became automated in 1971.

PBS Wisconsin: What do you hope visitors come away with after touring in person and virtually?

O’Shasky: I would like people to come away with a sense of respect for the lighthouse, not only the structure itself and what it has done for the people of Manitowoc, but also all of the work that the people of Manitowoc put into it. The structure is over 100 years old at this point so it’s well taken care of. It has been maintained by many, from civilian keepers, to the U.S. Coast Guard, to private owners and volunteers who see the value in preserving this structure. It stands as a pillar of Manitowoc’s maritime identity. I hope to highlight not only the dates and figures, but the human stories that have and will continue to keep the light on.

Take the Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse virtual tour at pbswisconsin.org/interactive-media. Tickets and tour dates for in-person tours are available for purchase at wisconsinmaritime.org.