When many people think of lighthouses, places like Massachusetts and Maine come to mind, but we in Ohio are blessed with quite a few of our own, thanks to the Great Lake Erie. One of those is the Marblehead Lighthouse, found on the shores of Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay.
The Marblehead Lighthouse was built in 1821, and it has the distinction of being the only light in continuous operation on the Great Lakes. The area around the lighthouse was declared an Ohio State Park in 1998, due in no little part to the efforts of volunteers.
A museum is housed in the former keeper’s house, which was built in 1880 to replace the original limestone house built in 1821. Even though it is of great age, the museum has been fit with ramps and an electronic wheelchair lift to make it available to all interested parties. The museum houses exhibits about the lighthouse, of course, as well as information about the local people and history.
Coming in the future, the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society is financing the building of a Life Saving Station Education Center, which will be a replica of the station that sat on the grounds of the Coast Guard station from 1876 to 1921. The new education center will feature new exhibits about the Lifesaving Service and its eventual evolution into the modern Coast Guard. There will also be a restored 26 foot motorized rescue boat, as used by the Lifesaving Service.
Come learn the exciting and little known history of the lighthouse and lifesavers of the shores of Lake Erie!
Bernie Pleunik
Angel Welcome Bed and Breakfast