The Rockwell (Brays Point) Lighthouse was built in 1911 and is located on Lake Winnebago at Oshkosh, WI. William Bray tried to convince the government to erect a lighthouse on the point where the Fox River empties into the lake. He built the lighthouse with his own funds, and assumed the cost of upkeep and the responsibility of keeping the light lit. The lighthouse was a part of Mr. Bray's private harbor improvements and his own pleasure boats. He transformed the entire point into a showplace where he entertained friends and colleagues. President William Howard Taft once visited here. The beacon was considered a government licensed light, however, after 1917, when commercial use became substantial, the government then realized the importance of the light and did pay its expenses for a time.
The privately owned and operated light is in a residential area. The beacon operates year round and is controlled by a photo sensor that automatically turns the light on, day or night, when the sky darkens. The owners are listed with the U.S. Coast Guard as the official lighthouse keepers.
This lighthouse is one of the most ornate of all Wisconsin lights, with white and cream colored stucco walls and delicate black ironwork. Numerous windows line the tower and a short staircase leads to a doorway at the light's base. During the late 1950's the light was turned off and the tower fell into disrepair for a number of years. The light was restored and re-lit in the summer of 1986 by the owners of the property. At the time of my visit to the lighthouse in 2002, this was an active lighthouse.
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