Volume 4, Issue 2 - February 2026

President's Letter

Dear Friends,

Every now and then, there’s a single moment that changes the course of history.

For the Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, that moment happened on February 15, 2022. This year marks the fourth anniversary of the meeting that truly launched our organization and changed history.

On February 15, four years ago, I sat down with Edward Torrez of ARDA Design for what was, at the time, simply an introduction.

But it became much more than that. That conversation changed the trajectory of the lighthouse’s future, gave shape to the path forward, and helped ignite what would become this movement—our mission to Preserve, Restore, and Celebrate the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

It’s hard to describe what it feels like to look back and realize that was the day history bent in a new direction.

What’s inside this February issue

This month’s newsletter is packed with stories that highlight how the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is inspiring people—right here in Chicago and far beyond.

• Hidden in Plain Sight: We share the remarkable story of “The Spirit of the Waters,” a granite relief at Chicago City Hall near the LaSalle Street entrance that includes the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse—an unexpected downtown tribute that reminds us how deeply the lighthouse is woven into Chicago’s civic identity.

• A Deeper Look at the Light: Our own Steve Clements takes us inside the lighthouse experience with a fascinating dive into the optics and Fresnel lens—the technology and craftsmanship that made lighthouses such powerful guardians of the Great Lakes.

• Our Stamp is Traveling: If you haven’t seen it yet, you will—our United States Lighthouse Society Lighthouse Passport Stamp story is gaining real momentum. We’re seeing requests from across the U.S., and we’ve sent Chicago Harbor Lighthouse stamps to supporters as far away as Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. It’s an incredible reminder that the lighthouse community is everywhere—and they’re cheering for Chicago.

• Start Your Passport Collection: Want to join the fun? We’ll show you exactly how to begin—starting with a visit to the Chicago Maritime Museum to get the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse stamp, and then heading to Grosse Point Lighthouse for stamp #2. Two stamps, two historic sites, and a perfect Chicagoland adventure.

Help us spread the story this spring

As we head into spring, one of our biggest goals is simple: get the message out.

If you’re part of a community group, neighborhood organization, club, association, school, or business network—or if you know one—we would love to come share the story of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse and what’s ahead.

FOCHL presentations are a great way to introduce new people to the mission, recruit volunteers, and build the support we’ll need for the work in front of us.

If your group is looking for a speaker this spring, please reach out. Let’s get something on the calendar.

Four years later—and just getting started

Anniversaries have a way of reminding us how far we’ve come—and how much possibility still sits out on the breakwater.

Four years ago, a single introduction helped launch a new chapter in this lighthouse’s history. Today, because of you, that chapter is being written with real momentum, real community, and a shared belief that this landmark deserves to be protected and celebrated for generations to come.

Thank you for being part of this.



Be Safe and Be Well!

Regards,

Kurt Lentsch

Chief Dreamer and President

Hidden in Plain Sight at Chicago City Hall: The Spirit of the Waters

Most Chicagoans walk past it without ever noticing—but tucked near the LaSalle Street entrance is a beautiful granite relief sculpture that quietly tells our story.

The panel is titled “The Spirit of the Waters,” and it includes a depiction of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse—a reminder that Chicago didn’t become Chicago by accident.

It became a global city because of water: Lake Michigan, the Great Lakes, the river, the harbor, and the maritime network that connected the Midwest to the world.

Installed with City Hall’s original 1911 entrance reliefs

The timing here matters.

Our lighthouse was built in 1893, during the same era Chicago was presenting itself to the world through the World's Columbian Exposition—a moment of bold growth, engineering, and ambition.

Less than two decades later, the City Hall side of the City Hall–County Building was completed in 1911—and “The Spirit of the Waters” is generally dated to that same year, installed as part of the building’s original entrance relief program (not added later). Put simply: as Chicago built its civic “front door,” it chose to carve the lighthouse into that story.

Why a lighthouse belongs on City Hall

The reliefs are attributed to John Flanagan, and that’s meaningful for FOCHL: it reinforces that the lighthouse wasn’t merely a navigational aid. It represented public safety, commerce, and Chicago’s identity as a Great Lakes powerhouse—important enough to be set in stone at the seat of city government.

A FOCHL moment downtown

The photo above shows Edward Torrez of ARDA Design, our architectural partner, pointing out the relief during a recent walk-through.

It’s a perfect “only in Chicago” moment: a world-class piece of civic art hiding in plain sight, honoring a lighthouse that still stands out near Navy Pier—waiting for its next chapter.

So next time you’re downtown, take the extra minute. Step over to the LaSalle Street entrance, look up, and find the lighthouse in granite.

Then snap a photo and share it—because the more people see how deeply the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is woven into the city’s story, the more unstoppable our mission becomes.

The Light Itself: Illumination, Optics, and the Daily Work of Keeping Time on the Lake

By Steve Clements

When people imagine a lighthouse at work, they often picture a simple light from a tower shining through the night. We are fortunate to have a copy of the 1929 Lighthouse Service Description of Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. That document reveals a very different reality. The “light” was not a passive feature of the structure but a precisely managed system of optics, mechanics, and daily labor; one that depended entirely on human attention to remain accurate and dependable.



At the heart of the system was a rotating third-order Fresnel lens housed within the lantern room. Originally installed when the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was completed in 1893, the lens was later moved with the structure during its relocation in 1917–1918. By the late nineteenth century, Fresnel lenses had become highly refined optical instruments, precisely engineered to gather light from the lamp and project it as a powerful, unified beam.

A two-dimensional Illustration of how a Fresnel Lens uses both reflection (glass reflectors at top and bottom) and refraction (bullseye lens in the center acting as a prism, bending light) to redirect light rays into a concentrated beam. 

Like the Cape Meares Lighthouse in Oregon, the lens assembly at Chicago Harbor Lighthouse incorporated ruby-red glass panels mounted on the outer portions of the rotating apparatus. As the lens turned, these red panels periodically passed through the beam, producing the station’s distinctive red flashing characteristic.

The Fresnel lens at Cape Meares lighthouse in Oregon features red panels on the

outside of sections of the rotating lens. Photo by Glenn Fleishman

This was not a decorative choice. For mariners approaching the harbor at night, the alternating white and red flashes formed a defined light characteristic, serving as a precise navigational signal. By comparing the observed flash pattern—its color sequence, period, and duration—with published nautical charts and light lists, mariners could positively identify the aid to navigation among surrounding shoreline and harbor lights. The accuracy of the light characteristic was essential; any variation in color, timing, or sequence could lead to misidentification and compromise safe navigation.



The precise timing of those flashes was governed by a clockwork mechanism, a system that, at the time, would have been familiar to lighthouse keepers worldwide. Powered by heavy descending weights, the mechanism regulated the steady rotation of the lens assembly. As the weights slowly dropped, they drove a series of gears that turned the lens at a constant rate, ensuring that the red glass panels passed through the beam at precisely the correct intervals.

Clockwork mechanism in the watch room at

Split Rock Lighthouse, located just below the lantern room.

The Split Rock Lighthouse in Minnesota is one of the few lighthouses in the country that still has a functioning clockwork mechanism to rotate its third-order Fresnel lens.  



Depending on the weight and gearing, the lighthouse keeper needed to rewind the system regularly to keep the light operating. This was a demanding physical task, requiring the keeper to hoist substantial weights back to their starting position and reset the mechanism for another cycle. Keeping the light in motion was as much manual labor as mechanical maintenance.

Reproduction of the Split Rock Lighthouse clockwork.

The reproduction clockwork shown above was built by Artworks Florida as an interpretive exhibit for the Split Rock Lighthouse museum, allowing visitors to see how the system operated. Note the removable handle on the right, which allowed the mechanism to be enclosed within its glass case when not being wound or serviced; the drum that stored the cable supporting the weight; and the horizontal gear at the top that transmitted motion to the lens turntable in the lantern room above.

The importance of this routine cannot be overstated. If the weights were not raised on schedule, the lens would slow or stop. The lamp might still burn, but the light would lose its characteristic, appearing steady or irregular; an unacceptable condition in a busy commercial harbor. A mistimed light was considered a serious failure, even if it remained illuminated.

The 1929 Lighthouse Service Description of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse provides detailed specifications for the clockwork system. The driving weight weighed 125 pounds and was suspended from a ¼-inch cable measuring 70 feet. This cable was wound around a drum approximately 8 inches in diameter and 12 inches long.

The weight descended inside a vertical tube 12 inches in diameter, running 54 feet down the center of the lighthouse. The clockwork was designed to run for three hours and twenty minutes before the heavy weight needed to be raised again. Importantly, for our clockwork, the mechanism continued running while the weight was manually rewound; a task the keeper performed repeatedly throughout the night to maintain the light’s operation.

Beyond winding the clockwork, the keeper’s daily responsibilities included cleaning and polishing the lens itself. Dust, and, before the adoption of 300-watt incandescent lightbulbs, soot and kerosene residue could dull the glass and scatter the beam. The red glass panels required the same careful attention, as any grime or discoloration could affect the color and intensity of the flash. Polishing was done by hand, typically every day, and always with care, since the glass elements were both heavy and fragile.

1939 photo of a lighthouse keeper polishing the inside of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse Fresnel Lens

The 1939 photograph above, from the U.S. Lighthouse Society archives, shows an unidentified Chicago Harbor Lighthouse keeper inside the third-order Fresnel lens. He stands on the turntable that rotates the lens while carefully polishing the glass, a task performed daily. Attentive viewers may notice that the lens panels to his left are clear, while those in front of him include the darker red glass mounted on the lens's outer surface.

Also visible are the highly polished brass legs that supported the lens on the turntable. All the lens glass was mounted in brass brackets, and in addition to polishing the lens, every exposed brass surface, along with the 300-watt incandescent lamp itself, was polished daily. According to the 1929 Lighthouse Service Description, the storage closet in the watch room, where keepers were assigned from dusk until dawn, held a reserve supply of 39 spare 300-watt lamps.

The weather compounded these challenges. Temperature changes affected mechanical tolerances in the clockwork and gearing, requiring regular, tiny adjustments. Moisture threatened both optics and gearing. Wind and vibration tested the alignment of the rotating assembly. The Lighthouse Service description describes these systems matter-of-factly, but behind that language lies a demanding routine that tied the keeper’s life to the rhythm of sunset, sunrise, regular maintenance, and the steady descent of a critical iron weight.

Seen this way, the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was a complex optical and mechanical system, one that carefully measured time to maintain the correct optical characteristics. Each night’s operation depended on dedicated human preparation earlier in the day: weight raised and ready for dusk, clockwork oiled and cleaned, gears checked, glass & brass cleaned, timing confirmed.

For Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, understanding these systems deepens our preservation work. The lighthouse functioned as a coordinated machine of optics, mechanics, and human labor, all operating in careful balance. Interpreting how these elements worked together allows us to preserve not only the structure itself, but also the means by which it fulfilled its purpose at the harbor entrance.

A Postscript and Learning More

The Fresnel lens and clockwork from Chicago Harbor Lighthouse faithfully served their intended purpose from 1893 until the late 1960s, when they were removed and declared government surplus. Today, the light characteristic of Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is no longer the alternating white and red flash created by clear glass and ruby-red panels of a precisely rotating Fresnel lens. It currently flashes red every five seconds.  This is accomplished by a more automated and far less complex circular matrix of red LEDs, housed in a plastic assembly a few inches tall and about eight inches in diameter.

The fascinating story of the long journey our Fresnel lens and clockwork took before arriving in Chicago in 1893, and the full-circle ending at their retirement, is told in a very interesting article from our July 2024 newsletter, titled "Celebrated in Two World Fairs: the H-L 330 Fresnel Lens Luckily Landed in Chicago."  



You can read that article here (https://conta.cc/3XHRQkl)

From Alaska to Puerto Rico: Chicago’s Lighthouse Stamp is Traveling

Before you even read another word, take a look at the pin map above.

Each pin represents a lighthouse enthusiast who has requested a Chicago Harbor Lighthouse Passport Stamp. And the reach is incredible: requests have come in from all across the United States, with Chicago Harbor Lighthouse stamps sent to supporters as far away as Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

For us at FOCHL, that map is more than dots on a screen. It’s proof that the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse isn’t only a local treasure—it’s part of a national lighthouse community, and people everywhere want to add “Chicago” to their lighthouse journeys.

Start Your 2026 Lighthouse Adventure: The USLHS Lighthouse Passport Program

Now with a Chicago Harbor Lighthouse Stamp

If you’ve ever wished you could “collect” your lighthouse visits the way travelers collect memories, photos, and postcards, the United States Lighthouse Society (USLHS) Lighthouse Passport Program is exactly for you.

It’s simple, fun, and oddly addictive: you carry a small Lighthouse Passport and add an official stamp each time you visit a participating lighthouse—and many maritime museums, lightships, life-saving stations, and Coast Guard-related sites, too.

And here’s the Chicago twist we’re excited to share: you can now add the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse stamp to your passport with a visit to the Chicago Maritime Museum.

What is the Lighthouse Passport Program?

Think of it as a nationwide “stamp quest” for lighthouse lovers:

• Buy a Lighthouse Passport and start collecting stamps from participating locations.
• Stamps are available not only at lighthouses, but also at many related maritime sites (museums, lightships, life-saving stations, and more).
• USLHS maintains lists of participating stamp locations and where to find them—so you can plan your next lighthouse run.
• A suggested donation of $2 per stamp is encouraged at many locations—small support that adds up to real preservation impact.

Want to go deeper? USLHS also offers a Passport Level membership (often called the “Passport Club”) that includes passport-related perks.

And if you needed any motivation to start—just look at that pin map again. People from coast to coast are doing this. Now Chicago is officially part of the adventure.

Your Chicago starting point: Chicago Maritime Museum + Chicago Harbor Lighthouse Stamp

Ready to begin? Here’s an easy (and very Chicago) way to kick things off:

Step 1: Get your passport

USLHS passports can be purchased through the Society at https://uslhs.org/passports and at many participating stamp locations—often including museums and lighthouse sites.

Step 2: Visit the Chicago Maritime Museum and get your Chicago Harbor Lighthouse stamp

Bring your passport (or pick one up at the museum gift shop) and make a visit to the Chicago Maritime Museum, where you can have your passport stamped with the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

Chicago Maritime Museum

1200 W 35th Street

Chicago, IL 60609

(773) 376-1982

While you’re there, give yourself time to enjoy the exhibits—this museum is a true hidden gem for anyone who loves Chicago history, the river, the lakefront, working boats, and the stories that built our waterfront city.

Tip: Like many cultural sites, schedules can change—if you’re making a special trip for a stamp, it’s always smart to call ahead.

Next stop: Grosse Point Lighthouse in Evanston

Stamp #2 (and a perfect day trip)

Once you’ve got your Chicago Harbor Lighthouse stamp, you’ve officially started your passport journey. Now it’s time for a perfect “next stamp” day trip:

Grosse Point Lighthouse (Evanston)

Grosse Point is a beautifully preserved light station just north of Chicago—and they note that lighthouse passport stamps are available (again, call ahead for the latest details). They also publish seasonal visitor information, including summer weekend tower and center hours.

That’s two stamps, two historic sites, and two great reasons to explore our region’s maritime story—without ever leaving Chicagoland.

Make it a tradition (and bring a friend)

Here’s the fun part: once you start stamping, you’ll begin planning trips around lighthouses on purpose. A weekend drive becomes a stamp hunt. A vacation becomes a lighthouse mission. And each stamp tells a story.

And thanks to FOCHL’s Chicago Harbor Lighthouse stamp, that story now includes Chicago—whether you’re stamping it in person at the Chicago Maritime Museum, or requesting it from afar like so many of the lighthouse enthusiasts represented on our pin map.

So for 2026, make it a tradition:



• Grab a passport
• Pick a lighthouse
• Add a stamp
• Learn the story
• And bring someone along

Because lighthouse history is more fun when it’s shared—and judging by that pin map, the lighthouse community is everywhere.

Book a Presentation: The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse — Past, Present, and Future

As the boating season winds down and we move into the winter months, the Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse are eager to keep the story of our city’s most iconic beacon alive and growing. We are now booking 10 locations for our one-hour presentation, The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse: Past, Present, and Future.

This engaging program features a multimedia presentation, followed by an open question-and-answer session. Together, we explore the Lighthouse’s rich history, its role in Chicago’s development, and our mission to preserve, restore, and celebrate it for future generations.

The presentation is ideal for audiences of 50–200 people and is a perfect program for the offseason. If you or your organization is looking for dynamic, educational programming, we encourage you to contact us. Please direct your event planners to info@savethelighthouse.org to reserve a date.

Presenters include Edward Torrez, Steve Clements (FOCHL Board Secretary), and Kurt Lentsch (Chief Dreamer & President), who will walk audiences through the past, present, and exciting future of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

Help us spread the word, share our story, and keep the light shining by booking a program today!

Help Light the Way

Every gift makes a difference. As we approach the final stages of acquiring the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, your support powers the future-- restoration, public access, education, and celebration of this enduring symbol of our city’s maritime history.

This summer, we’re raising critical funds to launch our first major restoration efforts and create engaging programming that brings students, families, and visitors to the lighthouse for generations to come.

• Donate today and become part of the story.
• Share our mission with friends, neighbors, and colleagues.
• Be a Lightkeeper and help us preserve this national treasure.

The Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Your donation is fully tax-deductible.

Visit www.SaveTheLighthouse.org/donate

Together, we can Save the Lighthouse. Thank you!

If you are part of an organization that has an interest in financially supporting our efforts to Preserve, Restore, and Celebrate the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, please reach out to Nick Naber (nicknaber@savethelighthouse.org), our treasurer and a member of our fundraising working group.

41°53'22"N 87°35'26"W

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