Pennsylvania - Erie Land Lighthouse

The Erie Land Lighthouse is located at Erie Harbor and Presque Isle Bay, Lake Erie, Erie, PA. The first lighthouse was built close by this location in 1818, but it was later replaced by a second lighthouse due to the unstable sandy soil. This third lighthouse was built in 1867 to replace the second one which also had foundation problems. Great emphasis was given to construction of a quality foundation before building this third tower. The tower stands forty-nine feet high and the diameter of the tower at the base is nineteen feet. At the time of my visit in 2001, this lighthouse was inactive, but it was open to the public to view. The keepers house, not in my picture, was a private residence.

Pennsylvania - Erie Harbor North Pier Lighthouse

This lighthouse is also known as Presque Isle North Pier Light. It is located at Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA. The first lighthouse in the harbor was built in 1830 and made of wood. This one is made of steel and was first lit in 1857. The tower stands 34 feet high and the light is solar powered. At the time of my visit in 2001, this light was active and still assisting mariners through the narrow inlet between Lake Erie and Presque Bay. 

Ohio - Northwood Lighthouse

The Northwood Lighthouse is located on Grand Lake St. Mary near the town of Northmore, OH. It was built in 1923 and is also known to the locals as Eddystone Lighthouse. At the time of my visit in 2001, the lighthouse was inactive and privately owned.

Ohio - Lorain East Breakwater Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located on Lake Erie in the harbor at Lorain, OH. Its tower is fifty-five feet high and the light was still an active aid to navigation at the time of my visit in 2001. It was not open to the public. This lighthouse was built in 1965 to replace the Lorain Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse. That lighthouse was featured last week as part of my posts.

Ohio - Lorain West Breakwater Lighthouse

The Lorain West Breakwater Lighthouse, also known as the Lorain Harbor Lighthouse, was built in 1917 on Lake Erie at Lorain, OH. The tower stands fifty-one feet tall with a lantern room which originally was equipped with a fourth order Fresnel lens. The light provided navigational assistance into the harbor until 1965 when it was deactivated and replaced by an automated light-tower at the end of the breakwater. After deactivation the lighthouse sat empty and neglected for years allowing deterioration and vandalism to abound. Efforts by authorities to tear down the lighthouse were met with several appeals by the town of Lorain. Finally, in 1977 the lighthouse was purchased for one dollar by the Lorain Historical Society. This lighthouse is registered in the National Register of Historical Places. After many hours of hard labor and expenditure of thousands of dollars making needed repairs, efforts headed by the historical society returned this lighthouse to a respectable historical landmark and museum in the Lorain Harbor. At the time of my visit in 2001 it was not open that day to the public.

Ohio - Vermilion Lighthouse (Replica)

This lighthouse is a located at Vermilion, OH - Lake Erie. It is part of the Inland Seas Museum at Vermilion.  The original lighthouse, which this one represents, was built in 1877 at the end of a pier in the water of Lake Erie. It contained a fifth order Fresnel lens with a white light which was later changed to red. Then in 1929 the lighthouse was closed and torn down due to the land of the pier shifting and causing the lighthouse to lean enough that it was unsafe to occupy. The lighthouse was replaced by a ten foot steel tower with a light on top. Then in 1991 the above sixteen foot high replica was built. Its lantern room also contains a fifth order Fresnel lens with red light. The people of Vermilion built the lighthouse to enable them to preserve the town's history of maritime activities. At the time of my visit to this lighthouse in 2001, it was an active light providing navigational assistance to boating traffic around Vermilion.

Ohio - Huron Harbor Lighthouse

The Huron Harbor Lighthouse is located at Huron, OH - Lake Erie. Multiple lighthouses at Huron have served as beacons for Great Lakes shipping since early nineteenth century. The first of three lighthouses was built here in 1835. It was built of wood and not well equipped to deal with the strong Lake Erie winds, thus it was destroyed by a fierce storm in May 1854. A second more secure lighthouse, fully enclosed and made of iron, was erected in 1857. Then in 1939 the current white pyramidal style lighthouse was constructed when the pier was extended to a location three-quarters of a mile off shore. The lantern room has since been removed. It was one of the first Lake Erie lighthouses to provide an electrically powered beacon to aid maritime navigation. The tower stands 72 feet high and its light can be seen over a twelve-mile radius. At the time of my visit in 2001 this lighthouse was not open to the public.

Ohio - Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse

The Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse is located at Ashtabula, OH - Lake Erie. The first lighthouse in the harbor was built on the East Pier. Then in 1887 a new light was built on the West Pier. A third light was built in 1905 on the West breakwater and later moved to its present location and enlarged in 1915-1916. The navigation light was replaced in 1995 by a recreational boaters light. At the time of my visit in 2001 this was an active light and it was maintained by the US Coast Guard. My picture didn't develop so I later purchased this one.