Sherwood Point Lighthouse, Wisconsin
Limited Edition
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History of Sherwood Point Lighthouse, Wisconsin
A father and son set out on a Door County winter lighthouse adventure, determined to capture the magic of Great Lake lighthouses on film and share their special moments of discovery with each other. They passed ice fishermen and other explorers as they trekked across the frozen Sturgeon Bay. As the breathtaking sight of Sherwood Point Lighthouse filled their senses and their cameras whirled, Stephen Sostaric found himself knee-deep in the icy water.
Although Stephen had seen footage of others falling through ice, he was absolutely astounded by the sharply frigid water and shocked to find himself unable to move. His father helped him up, chuckling at his son’s misadventure, but grateful that the treacherous waters of Door County hadn’t claimed another victim. Now the event is just a humorous memory.
Stephen Sostaric, an avid collector, won the opportunity to choose a lighthouse for Harbour Lights to produce in the 2000 Register and Win Contest. During his Door County travels, he encountered several gorgeous sentinels, but chose Sherwood Point because of its unique fog signal building. The memory of his icy mishap also brought the beacon promptly to mind, making his selection a personal one.
Established in 1883, the sentinel on Sherwood Point was the last manned lighthouse on the Great Lakes, but was eventually automated in 1983. It remains an active Coast Guard facility and is very strategic to modern Great Lakes shipping. Lake boats touring the famed Bay Shipbuilding Yard rely on the beacon for guidance and Coast Guard personnel use the dwelling as a summer residence.
The fourth-order Fresnel lens casts it light from a focal plane of 61 feet and the ornate fog signal sounds its warning in times of low visibility. If you visit Sherwood Point, be sure to watch for thin ice!
SHERWOOD POINT LIGHT
Sturgeon Bay (1883)
Completed in 1883, the square, thirty-five-foot brick tower is attached to its residence. Although the Coast Guard still uses the handsome, though small, keeper’s dwelling as a residence, the light is automated. This was the last lighthouse on the Great Lakes with a fulltime staff, and it was not automated until 1983. The station retains its fourth-order Fresnel lens, which produces a light seen from up to eighteen miles away. A small, pyramidal fog-signal building stands near the tower.
Travel information: As part of an active Coast Guard station, the lighthouse is off-limits to the public. It is best viewed from the water. Built on a caisson in open water across the bay is the Pestigo Reef Lighthouse (1934).