Marquette Lower Harbor Breakwater Light

aka Marquette Breakwater Outer Light

Marquette, Michigan, USA

Lake Superior

This lighthouse, also known as the Marquette Breakwater Outer Light, was originally constructed in 1875 and rebuilt in 1908. The tower is 36 feet high. The 8-foot tall watchroom is 14 feet on a side at the base and 10 feet on a side at the top.

A fourth order Fresnel lens made by Henri Le Paute of Paris was installed on the Lower Harbor breakwater in 1908. It was a fixed red visible for 8½ miles, featuring three-panel design and showing a 270-degree arc. This avoided illuminating the shoreline community of Marquette.

The lens emitted a constant light, as evidenced by the smooth glass in its center. The lighthouse keeper was required to make his way out to the tower every night to light the lantern regardless of the weather.

In 1986, the original Fresnel lens was removed, and the tower was dismantled. It was removed by a new automatic plastic optic on a cylindrical support. The original fourth order lens is now on display at the Marquette Maritime Museum.

This light is nearly identical in design to several other pierhead lights on Lake Superior. (See Grand Marais, MN; Grand Marais, MI; Ontonagon, MI; Two Harbors, MN.)

This light was torn down by the Coast Guard in 1985. The lantern room and lens it once contained are now exhibited in the Marquette Maritime Museum.