Grosse Point Light Station
Why it's listed
Grosse Point Lighthouse is a brick, steel and glass light tower about 90 feet tall on the Evanston lakefront, finished in 1873 by the United States Government. The tower sits beside a duplex residence for the keeper and assistant, and two small brick buildings added in 1880 once housed steam fog sirens, which were removed in 1922. The tower and residence together cost $35,000, with another $13,000 for the lighting apparatus. A concrete coating was added to the eroding brick in 1914, and the light was electrified and automated in 1935. It was built after shipwrecks along a shoreline used heavily by Chicago-bound traffic, and Evanston residents had petitioned for a light since the Civil War. The original reflector and its weight-driven rotating mechanism can still be seen. The city of Evanston received the grounds in 1935 and the tower in 1941, and the North East Park District now operates the site, where restoration began in 1973.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the light as a response to shipwrecks off the point, at a time when more than 12,000 ships a year used the port of Chicago. Evanston citizens had petitioned for a light during the Civil War. The original reflector and its rotating mechanism survive, and the light still operates as an aid to small craft and a historical landmark.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 76000707, listed September 8, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2601 Sheridan Rd., Evanston |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | September 8, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000707 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1873 |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated January 20, 1999 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restoration of the buildings and grounds began in 1973. The light is maintained to aid small craft and as a historical landmark, and the property is operated as a museum by the park district. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Within district | Northeast Evanston Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.06385, -87.67605 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 76000707.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5610547
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.