The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was built in 1893 for the World's Colombian Exposition. It was moved in 1919 to it's present site. It's award winning Fresnel Lens was removed and in on display at the Cabrillo National Monument in California. The lens was originally designed and intended for Point Loma California Lighthouse, but was kept in Chicago for almost a century following it's display at the World's Exposition. The light had a range of 24 miles. Until it's automation in1979, the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was manned by Keepers.
The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 2003. In 2005 the Coast Guard deemed the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse excess. Ownership was transferred to the City of Chicago in 2009. A sculpture located near the LaSalle Street entrance to City Hall commemorates the Lighthouse's significant role in the city's development.
