Detroit-22

William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse – Belle Isle – Detroit | 1930 – Albert Kahn, Gaza Moroti

William Livingstone was born in 1844 and served as president of the Dime Bank, owner of the Detroit Evening Journal, and long-time president of the Lake Carriers Association. He was 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 in 1925, friends and colleagues rallied to build an appropriate monument in Livingstone’s memory.

Designed by famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn, the Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse was located at the head of Belle Isle, facing Lake St. Clair. It was erected in 1930 by the sculptor Gaza Moroti in the Art Deco style, taking the form of a classical fluted pillar but with additional modern opulence. The 58 foot tall lighthouse was sculpted out of Georgia marble – the only such structure in North America.

It’s bronze and glass lens, originally from the older Belle Isle Lighthouse, generates a 8600-candlepower beacon visible for up to fifteen miles. The project cost about $100,000 and was funded mostly by citizens of “Old Detroit” – wealthy businessmen and friends of William Livingstone.

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 is a shining tribute to one of the most influential men in Detroit shipping history.

Today, William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse alternately sends out a white and red flash, separated by ten seconds, and continues to remind visitors of the accomplishments of William Livingstone, one of the Detroit’s most prominent and public-spirited citizens.