Description: Caption reads "Still standing at Huron is the old lighthouse, built in __ (see Huron Lighthouse)". Huron's lighthouses have served as beacons for Great Lakes shipping since the early nineteenth century. The first of three Huron lighthouses was built in 1835. Built of wood and ill-equipped to deal with strong Lake Erie winds, it was destroyed by a fierce storm in May 1854. This light house was fully enclosed and was erected in 1857. The current white, pyramidal lighthouse was constructed in 1936 when the pier was extended to a location three-quarters of a mile offshore. Part of the original concrete foundation and railing were incorporated into the current structure. It was one of the first Lake Erie lighthouses to provide an electrically powered beacon to aid maritime navigation. Its light can be seen over a twelve-mile radius. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F01A_018_1
Subjects: Geography and Natural Resources; Lighthouses; Harbors
Places: Huron (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio)
 

Description: Marblehead Lighthouse, built in 1821, Marblehead, Ottawa County, Ohio, ca. 1940-1949. Marblehead Lighthouse is located on the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula in Marblehead, Ohio. It has operated since 1822 and is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the US side of the Great Lakes. In 1858, initially used whale oil lamps were replaced by a single kerosene lantern, which in turn was replaced by electric light in 1923. A lifesaving station was built a short distance from the lighthouse in 1876. Marblehead Lighthouse was one of five lighthouses included in the "Lighthouses of the Great Lakes" postage stamp series designed by Howard Koslow in 1995. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00392
Subjects: Marblehead Light (Ohio); Lighthouses; Erie, Lake, Coast (Ohio); Women--Employment; Ships; Marblehead (Ohio); National Register of Historic Places; National parks & reserves
Places: Marblehead (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: Marblehead Lighthouse is located on the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula in Marblehead, Ohio. It has operated since 1822 and is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the US side of the Great Lakes. In 1858, initially used whale oil lamps were replaced by a single kerosene lantern, which in turn was replaced by electric light in 1923. A lifesaving station was built a short distance from the lighthouse in 1876. Marblehead Lighthouse was one of five lighthouses included in the "Lighthouses of the Great Lakes" postage stamp series designed by Howard Koslow in 1995. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07511
Subjects: Lighthouses--Ohio; Great Lakes (North America); Erie, Lake, Coast (Ohio); National Register of Historic Places; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Marblehead (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio); Lake Erie
 

Description: Marblehead Lighthouse is located on the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula in Marblehead, Ohio. It has operated since 1822 and is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the US side of the Great Lakes. In 1858, initially used whale oil lamps were replaced by a single kerosene lantern, which in turn was replaced by electric light in 1923. A lifesaving station was built a short distance from the lighthouse in 1876. Marblehead Lighthouse was one of five lighthouses included in the "Lighthouses of the Great Lakes" postage stamp series designed by Howard Koslow in 1995. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07513
Subjects: Lighthouses--Ohio; Great Lakes (North America); Erie, Lake, Coast (Ohio); National Register of Historic Places
Places: Marblehead (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio); Lake Erie
 

Description: Lighthouse at Grand Lake, St. Marys, Auglaize County, Ohio, ca. 1940-1949. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00316
Subjects: Lighthouses--Ohio
Places: St. Marys (Ohio); Auglaize County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "New Lighthouse at Huron, on Lake Erie." The Huron lighthouse was constructed in 1835. The tower is considered to be an "Art Moderne" style made out of steel plate and concrete. Currently the lighthouse is mostly used by recreational boaters and the occasional freighter. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F01A_019_1
Subjects: Geography and Natural Resources; Lighthouses; Harbors; Recreation
Places: Huron (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio)
 

Description: Old lighthouse at Fairport Harbor, built in 1825, Lake County, Ohio, ca. 1940-1949. Presently, housing the Fairport Harbor Marine Museum. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00363
Subjects: Historical museums--Ohio; Lighthouses
Places: Fairport Harbor (Ohio); Lake County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image shows a lighthouse at Huron, on Lake Erie. This light house, built in 1936 replaced the old West Pierhead light house built in 1835 View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06406
Subjects: Lighthouses--Ohio; Huron (Ohio)
Places: Huron (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a photo of a boy playing with a model of a lighthouse. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F03_18_001
Subjects: Lighthouses; Models
Places: Ohio
 

Description: Four 3.5" x 5" (8.89 x 12.7 cm) postcards document scenes along Grand Lake St. Marys in Mercer County. The first shows the lighthouse at Northwood, located on the north shore of the lake between St. Marys and Celina. Three other postcards include images of a street along the west shore, a swimming beach, and a bird's eye view of the shoreline near Celina. Grand Lake St. Marys was the largest man-made lake in the world when it was built in 1845. The 13,500-acre lake was built to feed water into the Miami-Erie Canal when water levels fell below five feet. The lake took seven years to build and includes fifty miles of shoreline. It became a state park in 1949. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3129_3832147_005
Subjects: Geography and Natural Resources; Lakes & ponds; Lighthouses; Roads; Beaches
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: Marblehead Lighthouse in Marblehead, Ohio, United States, is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the United States side of the Great Lakes. It has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822, and is an active aid to navigation. In 1819, the fifteenth U. S. Congress recognized the need for navigational aides along the Great Lakes, and set aside $5,000 for construction of a light tower at the entrance to Sandusky Bay. Contractor William Kelly built the 50 foot (15 m) tower of native limestone on the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula. The base of the tower is 25 feet (7.6 m) in diameter, with walls five feet (1.5 m) thick. It narrows to 12 feet (4 m) at the top with two-foot (0.6 m) thick walls. The turn of the century ushered in new technology as well as structural changes including the addition of another 15 feet (4.6 m) to the tower’s height. A clock-like mechanism was installed to rotate the lantern, creating the appearance of a brilliant flash of light every 10 seconds. This system required that the lighthouse keeper crank the weights every three hours through the night to keep the lantern turning. An improved Fresnel lens with prism surfaces created an even more brilliant beacon. An electric light finally replaced the kerosene lantern in 1923, dramatically increasing the intensity of the signal. During World War II, the lighthouse became strategically important for national defense. The last civilian lighthouse keeper resigned, and the United States Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the beacon in 1946. The beacon was automated in 1958. With its original finish tattered by time and harsh weather, the exterior of the lighthouse tower was given a fresh coat of new stucco the same year. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has maintained the property surrounding the lighthouse since 1972 and accepted ownership of the Marblehead Lighthouse tower in May 1998. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate and maintain the lighthouse beacon. Today’s 300 mm lens projects a green signal that flashes every six seconds and is visible for 11 nautical miles (20 km). The distinctive green distinguishes the lighthouse signal from white lights coming from air beacons. In 2001-2002 the state renovated the tower and keeper's house at a cost of $500,000. In 2004 the Fresnel lens was returned to the light station from the Marblehead Coast Guard Station, where it was previously on display. The Ottawa County Historical Society owns the original 1-story fieldstone keeper's house (3 miles (5 km) from the light on OH 163 in Marblehead. The lighthouse is now part of the 9 acre Marblehead Lighthouse State Park. The park features picnic tables and offers views of Lake Erie, Sandusky Bay, Kelleys Island and South Bass Island. The Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society operates the Marblehead Lighthouse Museum in the old keeper's house View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F08_037_001
Subjects: Lighthouses Ohio; Erie, Lake, Coast (Ohio); Marblehead Lighthouse (Ohio); National Register of Historic Places
Places: Marblehead (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: Marblehead Lighthouse in Marblehead, Ohio, United States, is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the United States side of the Great Lakes. It has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822, and is an active aid to navigation. In 1819, the fifteenth U. S. Congress recognized the need for navigational aides along the Great Lakes, and set aside $5,000 for construction of a light tower at the entrance to Sandusky Bay. Contractor William Kelly built the 50 foot (15 m) tower of native limestone on the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula. The base of the tower is 25 feet (7.6 m) in diameter, with walls five feet (1.5 m) thick. It narrows to 12 feet (4 m) at the top with two-foot (0.6 m) thick walls. The turn of the century ushered in new technology as well as structural changes including the addition of another 15 feet (4.6 m) to the tower’s height. A clock-like mechanism was installed to rotate the lantern, creating the appearance of a brilliant flash of light every 10 seconds. This system required that the lighthouse keeper crank the weights every three hours through the night to keep the lantern turning. An improved Fresnel lens with prism surfaces created an even more brilliant beacon. An electric light finally replaced the kerosene lantern in 1923, dramatically increasing the intensity of the signal. During World War II, the lighthouse became strategically important for national defense. The last civilian lighthouse keeper resigned, and the United States Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the beacon in 1946. The beacon was automated in 1958. With its original finish tattered by time and harsh weather, the exterior of the lighthouse tower was given a fresh coat of new stucco the same year. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has maintained the property surrounding the lighthouse since 1972 and accepted ownership of the Marblehead Lighthouse tower in May 1998. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate and maintain the lighthouse beacon. Today’s 300 mm lens projects a green signal that flashes every six seconds and is visible for 11 nautical miles (20 km). The distinctive green distinguishes the lighthouse signal from white lights coming from air beacons. In 2001-2002 the state renovated the tower and keeper's house at a cost of $500,000. In 2004 the Fresnel lens was returned to the light station from the Marblehead Coast Guard Station, where it was previously on display. The Ottawa County Historical Society owns the original 1-story fieldstone keeper's house (3 miles (5 km) from the light on OH 163 in Marblehead. The lighthouse is now part of the 9 acre Marblehead Lighthouse State Park. The park features picnic tables and offers views of Lake Erie, Sandusky Bay, Kelleys Island and South Bass Island. The Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society operates the Marblehead Lighthouse Museum in the old keeper's house View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F08_036_001
Subjects: Lighthouses Ohio; Erie, Lake, Coast (Ohio); Marblehead Lighthouse (Ohio); National Register of Historic Places
Places: Marblehead (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)