Tower of History

View from the Tower of History, 1978

The Tower of History was built in 1968 by St. Mary's Catholic Church as part of a never-completed shrine to Catholic missionaries active in the Upper Peninsula that was to be named the Shrine of the Missionaries.[3][11][12] It was designed by George Rafferty of Saint Paul, Minnesota-based Progressive Design Associates, while Frank Kacmarcik served as the project's art consultant.[4] The tower was built on the site of Jacques Marquette's first log house and chapel.[4][5][6] It was initially estimated to cost just $50,000 to build, although this figure soon ballooned to over $600,000 once recommendations from the project's architect and consultants were factored in;[12] ultimately, the total cost rose to nearly $1 million.[4][6]

The tower was planned to be complemented by a new church building and community center, although St. Mary's ultimately ended funding for the project.[10] From the beginning, it was conceived as both a historical and a tourist attraction.[13] The tower was originally intended to house a museum to 17th- and 18th-century missionaries as well as be connected to the planned new church building, effectively functioning as its steeple.[2][12] Initially called the Tower of Missionaries, it was renamed the Tower of History to broaden its appeal to visitors.[5] The tower was initially projected to cover its costs by visitors paying $1 or $2 to experience the view from the observation platforms, but according to parishioner and building committee member Paul Ripley, the unforeseen oil crisis precluded the tourism growth that they expected.[12]

In 1971, due to the financial problems that St. Mary's was enduring, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette assumed responsibility for the tower.[14][15] In 1972, its operation was reorganized and it became directed by a state-wide board of directors. Also at that time, the tower employed 10 college students as workers.[16] By 1975, it was attracting over 40,000 visitors a year.[7] In 1979, an advisory board to the Diocese of Marquette's administrative board recommended either closing the tower or donating it to a civic organization.[15] In 1980, the diocese donated it to Le Sault De Sainte Marie Historical Sites, Inc. (Sault Historic Sites).[10][14][15]

The Tower of History includes museum exhibits about Catholic missionaries, local history, and Native American history.[1][2][3] The museum exhibits and a video presentation are located on the tower's Lower Level, while three separate viewing platforms (both open-air and glassed-in) and additional exhibit space are located on the Upper Level.[9][10] The tower features an express elevator that ascends to the viewing platforms in 45 seconds.[7] The Tower of History is open to the public between mid-May and mid-October.[2]

• Media related to Tower of History at Wikimedia Commons
• Tower of History on Atlas Obscura