Two Harbors Breakwater Light

At the tip of the breakwater that encloses the eastern end of Agate Bay in Two Harbors, Minnesota, a lighthouse stands to guide vessels into the harbor. It occupies the outermost point of the breakwater, serving as a navigational reference for ships entering the port.

The tower is a square pyramidal skeletal structure of iron and wood, set on a stone foundation. Its upper portion is enclosed to form a small watch room, and the lantern above is octagonal. The tower is painted white and the lantern roof is red. The light’s focal plane is 32 ft above the water, its beam reaches 9 nmi, and it flashes red every six seconds. A horn provides the fog signal.

The harbor improvement program began in 1887 and produced two breakwaters. An early lantern on an iron post was first lit in 1895 and was moved to the eastern breakwater when the structure was completed in 1902, where it operated on Pintsch gas from tanks on the breakwater. In 1906 the present iron‑wood tower replaced that arrangement, and the original fog signal was a clockwork‑driven bell wound by an electric motor. The light was electrified and an electric siren took over the fog signal in 1915; the siren was replaced by a horn in 1941. The light was extinguated for three years during a breakwater extension, from 1947 to 1950, and then resumed operation with the same tower and signals.

The aid remains active today, continuing to mark the entrance to Two Harbors’ harbor. It is an active aid to navigation.