Belle Isle’s Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse was named after William Livingstone of Detroit. Born in 1844, Livingstone was president of the Dime Bank, owner of the Detroit Evening Journal, and long-time president of the Lake Carriers Association. He was also responsible for several important navigational improvements on the Great Lakes, including the creation of a deep-water channel in the lower Detroit River which became known as the Livingstone Channel. Following his death on October 17, 1925, friends and colleagues across the city rallied to build an appropriate monument in Livingstone’s memory.
Designed by renowned Detroit architect Albert Kahn, the Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse was located at the northern head of Belle Isle, facing Lake St. Clair. The ornamentation of the monument was designed in 1930 by Hungarian sculptor Geza Maroti in the Art Deco style—a classical fluted pillar but with additional modern opulence. The 58-foot-tall lighthouse was sculpted out of Georgia white marble – it is the only lighthouse in the nation constructed of marble and it is one of only two lights in Michigan erected as memorials. The fluted shaft rises from an octagonal platform of the same white marble. Flanked by wide steps on all sides, the shaft is 11 feet in diameter at the base, tapering to 8 feet at the top, where a bronze lantern of irregular octagonal shape is place on the top. There is a heavy bronze door at the base. A circular interior staircase of usual lighthouse construction provides access to the lantern. It came at a cost of $100,00 and was dedicated October 17, 1930, exactly 5 years after his death.
Picture of 1930 dedication
Its bronze and glass lens, originally from the older Belle Isle Lighthouse that was demolished in 1941 to make room for the Coast Guard station, generates an 8600-candlepower beacon visible for up to fifteen miles
The Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse fittingly serves to guide ships along the Detroit River, connecting the works of Livingstone during his life to his enduring memory after his death. The lighthouse also represents a time in American lighthouse history when automated, remote operated lighthouses were becoming popular and manually operated houses were being abandoned.
Today the William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse alternately sends out a white and red flash, separated by 10 seconds. It continues to remind visitors of the accomplishments of William Livingstone, one of Detroit’s most prominent and public-spirited citizens. It is also one of the most photographed sites on Belle Isle.
Logging requirements must be followed or your find will be deleted:
You will need to walk the fence protecting the lighthouse and send me the following answers
1 - how many pad locks do you find attached to the fence
2 - to what side of the door to the lighthouse are how many links of chain secured to the fence
3 - post a picture of your team with the 2 cherubs adorning the namesake in the background
To enter Belle Isle State Park you will need either a Michigan State Park Passport or a day pass. Residents are $17.00 per year, non residence is $34.00 per year and the daily pass is $9.00 per day.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.