Guarding the canal between Lake Superior and Lac Labelle, the Mendota light is inaccessible except for views from the opposite side of the canal. The light is unlike any other on the Great Lakes, in that it's integrated tower sits in the center of a deeply sloped roof. This lighthouse, owned and well maintained by Gary Kohs, is on of the most picturesque lights on the Lake. ESTABLISHED-- 1870 BUILT-- 1895 LIGHT-- FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL LENS (FIXED) WHITE FLASH EVERY TWENTY SECONDS HEIGHT-- 44 FEET DISTANCE VISIBLE-- 13¾ MILES DECOMISSIONED- - 1960 REACTIVATED -- JULY 5, 1998 AT 9:45 PM
Sitting high above Lake Superior, resting on a stone bluff, the bright red Marquette Harbor Lighthouse appears to look like a castle on the lake. The first lighthouse was built in 1853, but only lasted thirteen years due to poor construction. A new square masonry tower was built in 1866. The lantern room and windows are both painted white, and the metal roof, ventilator ball, tower and keeper's dwelling are painted red. The tower height is 40-feet. A second story was added to the keeper's dwelling in 1906, and the tower fitted with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. Today, the lighthouse is equipped with a modern optic.
