Rawley Point Lighthouse was erected in 1894 on a prominent point of land that posed a major threat to navigation on Lake Michigan's western shore, and it is the only one of its kind on the Great Lakes. The tower is a reconstruction and enlargement of an old Chicago River lighthouse that was transported to this location. Standing at 113 feet, it is the tallest octagonal skeletal light tower on the Great Lakes and replaced a deteriorated 1874 brick lighthouse whose keeper's quarters remain at the site. The lighthouse is designed with eight corner posts and a complex network of horizontal struts and diagonal tie rods, with an iron stair cylinder rising through the center to the top lantern room and gallery. Originally equipped with a Fresnel lens and later an airport beacon light, it was manually operated until 1980, when it became fully automated. The present optic system was installed in 1987, and the light can be seen by ships 28 miles away.