Lightship No. 57 (LV57) – Grays Reef Lightship

Identification & Site Information

  • Vessel Names: Lightship No. 57, LV57
  • Registry Number: None after government disposal (Federal vessel, not merchant registered)
  • Year Built: 1891
  • Year Sank/Abandoned: 1924
  • Dimensions: 27.43 m (90 ft) length; 6.1 m (20 ft) beam; 2.44 m (8 ft) depth of hold
  • Gross Tonnage: 130 tons
  • Coordinates of Wreck: N 43° 00.092′ / W 087° 53.130′ (Milwaukee, WI – Lake Michigan)
  • Present Condition: Buried under landfill at South Shore Park, Milwaukee, in shallow water (1.8–3.7 m / 6–12 ft)
  • County: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Nearest City: Milwaukee, WI

Vessel Type

  • Class & Use: U.S. Lighthouse Service self-propelled wooden Lightship
  • Rig: Two-masted Schooner rig with spencer sail for riding
  • Propulsion: Steam screw, single propeller
  • Speed: 8 knots maximum
  • Hull: White oak, wood-framed, iron-spike fastened

Description

Lightship No. 57 (LV57) was a wooden, two-masted, steam-propelled Lightship designed to act as a floating lighthouse. She was part of an experimental trio (LV55, LV56, LV57) constructed to reduce the cost of permanent lighthouse construction by maintaining a mobile lighted station during the navigational season.

Notable construction details:

  • White oak planking with 5/8″ iron spike fastening
  • Two masts for daymarks; lanterns hoisted to mastheads
  • Fog signal: 6″ steam whistle and hand-operated bell
  • Anchor system: 5-ton sinker with 2-inch chain
  • Initial lighting: Oil-burning lens lanterns; later refitted with fog and submarine bells

History

Operational Career:

  • 1891–1923: Served without major incident at Grays Reef Station
  • Function: Warned mariners of dangerous rocky ridge, assisted ships in distress, self-relocated in heavy weather
  • Value at Construction: $14,225
  • Last Duty Year: 1923 (Replaced by Lightship 61)

Final Disposition

  • 1924:
    • Retired and sold for $465 to Milwaukee scrap dealer Louis Harris
    • Pig Iron ballast and other removable material salvaged
    • Hull Abandoned and repurposed as clubhouse at South Shore Beach, Milwaukee
  • Late 1920s:
    • Storms damaged and partially sank the vessel against the 1913 South Shore seawall
    • Ultimately buried under park landfill south of Russell Avenue

Current Status:

  • Buried under the shoreline at South Shore Park, Milwaukee
  • Lies with bow north and Stern south; depth 6–12 ft (1.8–3.7 m)
  • Discovered in 1993 via diver observation; now protected under sediment and landfill

Located By & Date Found

  • Discovered by: Local divers and South Shore Yacht Club members (Russ Sommer, Ray Glischand)
  • Year of Underwater Discovery: ~1993
  • Condition:
    • Buried in sand and silt
    • Remains largely intact but inaccessible under landfill
    • Recognized as Wisconsin’s only surviving Lightship wreck

NOTMARs & Advisories

  • None noted; wreck lies beneath landfill, not a navigation hazard

Resources & Links

Shore Dive Information

  • Depth: 1.8–3.7 m (6–12 ft)
  • Visibility: Low, silt-covered remains
  • Access: Technically under park landfill; not legally dive-accessible today
  • Nearby Launch: South Shore Yacht Club

Conclusion

Lightship 57 is the only surviving Lightship wreck in Wisconsin waters, representing a unique transitional period in Great Lakes navigation history. As the first generation of self-propelled U.S. lightships, it demonstrated the shift from fixed lighthouses to mobile aids to navigation for treacherous areas like Grays Reef.

While inaccessible today under Milwaukee’s shoreline landfill, the wreck holds high archaeological and historical value, providing insight into late 19th-century U.S. Lighthouse Service vessel design and the evolution of floating navigational aids on the Great Lakes.

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