Outer Island Light Station: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, National Park Service

The Outer Island Light Station landscape is one of six light stations in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and is located in Ashland County, Wisconsin. The light station cultural landscape occupies approximately 8.3 acres on the north end of Outer Island, which is 7,999 acres in size and is the northeastern most island of the Apostle archipelago along the western shore of Lake Superior. The cultural landscape is a collection of features remaining from its development as a light station over the last one hundred and twenty years. The light station consists of a tower and keepers quarters, privy, fog signal building, and oil storage building. These, along with their adjacent structures and various connecting pathways, all largely date to the period of development of the site and illustrate the architecture, lifestyle, and evolving technologies of lighthouse design and operation. The Outer Island Light Station was continuously inhabited from its development in 1873 until its automation in 1961. It was included in a National Register of Historic Places nomination of the Apostle Islands Lighthouses, listed on March 8, 1977, emphasizing the significance of the light stations under National Register Criterion A for their contributions to the understanding of the broad patterns of history related to navigation, shipping, and commerce. By the late 1860s, shipping patterns had shifted and larger vessels were passing north of the Apostles Islands, beyond current park boundaries. This led to the development of a second ring of lighthouses on the outer edge of the archipelago, including the Outer Island Light Station. Initial work crews were delayed by extremely bad weather and the discovery that construction had begun about 1,300 feet from the tower’s planned site. Construction of the tower, house, privy, and fog signal building were completed in 1874. At more than 80 feet tall, the tower was visible for more than 19 miles. The light station also housed a fog steam whistle, the first of the Apostle Islands, although it would not survive long. Additional structures were added or altered at the site in subsequent years of operation; these include a pipe box to pump water to the fog signal building (1886), tramway improvements (1887), the replacement of lard oil lamps by kerosene lamps (1892) and then vapor lamps (1913), additions to the keepers quarters (1925), and oil storage and buildings (1892-95). Other changes reflect the modernization of lighthouse operations, such as the installation of a radio transmitter in 1939, electrification of the tower and fog signals in 1941, and automation of the light in 1961. Overall, the Outer Island Light Station landscape retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Keepers’ logs indicate that the light station may have once hosted a barn, chicken coop, shed, and smokehouse. Some regrowth of vegetation has occurred along the shoreline, an area that was once cleared in conjunction with lighthouse construction and operations. Additional changes at the site occurred when the National Park Service (NPS) acquired the light station for the National Lakeshore, primarily related to access and visitor use. The topography generally remains the same as it was during the historical period, apart from erosion control on the northern shore of the island that was implemented in the early 1980s and in 2003. The tower is in good condition with the exception of rust stains and peeling paint. The keepers quarters are also in good condition, although some of the historic ceilings and floors inside have been covered or replaced. As a whole, the landscape retains a high degree of integrity and many components that contribute to the cultural landscape, both of the Outer Island Light Station and of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Outer Island Light Station: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, National Park Service

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