click zoom to display a high-res image
Summary
Grassy Island Range Lights
Green Bay Yacht Club
100 Bay Beach Road
Green Bay, Brown County
Date of Construction: 1872
The Grassy Island Range Lights are rare examples of a common nineteenth century navigational aid designed to help mariners entering and leaving a harbor. Range lights always came in pairs, the front (lower) light being shorter than the taller rear (upper) light. When a ship had these lights lined up, one above the other, the captain knew that it was on a safe course.
Originally, these two lights were situated on Grassy Island, which is located just outside the mouth of the Fox River in Green Bay. Because this low, narrow island prevented ships from making a straight approach into the port of Green Bay, workers cut a straight channel through the island. In order to guide ships through this channel the range lights were built along its east edge in 1872. These lights were originally part of a larger station complex that included a light keeper house, a boathouse, an oil house for the oil burned in the light, gardens, piers, and long walkways along the channel edges. All of these structures, except for the lights, were demolished when the channel was widened in 1966. Fortunately, the lights were saved and moved to shore in 1966, and were moved to their present location on the Fox River in 1999. They have since been restored.
Please note that the range lights are on private property and belong to the Green Bay Yacht Club, which is a gated property that is open only to its members. You can get a good general view of the range lights from the grounds of the U.S. Coast Guard Station, which is located next door, or from the river.
Property Details
| Criteria | Architecture/Engineering |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Architecture |
| Period of Significance | 1872 |
| Architectural Style | Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements |
| Architect | unknown |
| Resource Type | Structure |
| Historic Use | Water-Related |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 0 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 2 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Nov 15, 2004 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Jan 12, 2005 |
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or have other questions about the registers, reach out today!
Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Grassy Island Range Lights
Green Bay
Grassy Island lies at the very southern end of Green Bay near the mouth of the Fox River. The Grassy Island Range Lights, built in 1872, were located on an eastern embankment that was cut through t...
G.A.R. (1877)
Green Bay/Fox River
One mile inside the channel dredged through Grassy Island in Green Bay near the mouth of the Fox River.
Plum Island Range Lights
Lake Michigan
The original Plum Island Lighthouse was built in 1849 and was decommissioned ten years later. The equipment was moved to the newly built, Pilot Island lighthouse. The Plum Island range lights were...
Plum Island
10000385
Located in Town of Washington, Door County
