[2][14][15] The United States government agreed to construct the lighthouse at Grosse Point after several maritime disasters near the area showed need for it.

[7][16] The citizens of Evanston petitioned the government for the light station, but the Civil War (1861-1865) delayed any funding for the project.

The operational history and light keeping at Grosse Point Lighthouse is unique as there have been keepers appointed by both federal and local government.

Like all Principle keepers of the period the primary duties Moore dealt with was making sure that Grosse Point’s second-order Fresnel lens was properly maintained and that its life-saving beacon of light worked continuously from sunset to sunrise.

keepers and consist of chores such as polishing brass and copper, cleaning windows, and organizing storage areas.

This contrasted with a congenial side to his professional personality when dealing with news reporters who frequently sought him out for his views on maritime issues, enjoying the stories he would tell.

A century aside, Terras’ position requires some of the same work-related duties as Keeper Moore such as making sure that the original Fresnel lens operates properly, filing government paperwork, and hiring contractors.

But Don Terras was hired at a time when there was strong national sentiment to preserve and interpret historic lighthouses and he was at the forefront of a new generation of so-called “Heritage” Keepers.

[15] In 1935, the federal government turned over the grounds and the buildings, except for the lighthouse tower and light, to the city of Evanston.

In 1941, the Grosse Point Light Station was decommissioned by the United States Coast Guard as a precaution against possible air raids in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

[26] In 2023, The Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was formed to help “Preserve, Restore and Celebrate” this historically important Great Lakes Aid to Navigation.

The outer wall, at a thickness of 12 inches (300 mm), rises at a slight incline and gives the tower its conical shape.

The Evanston Index for October 23, 1880, reported that Mr. Crump, an official lampist for the Lighthouse Establishment’s Twelfth District, was in town and had “confirmed the explosion of the pretty fiction which long obtained here, concerning the burying of our Evanston light in the sands during the Civil War.” Official as his statement might seem, there currently are no records available to prove the incident did not take place.

(1995) "Grosse Point Lighthouse: Landmark to Maritime History and Culture" (Hard Cover) (Windy City Press) ISBN 0-9648558-0-1