The 5 Most Beautiful Lake Erie Lighthouses

Lake Erie is the fourth-largest of the Great Lakes and home to some of the most traversed trade routes. Shipwrecks (estimated at 8,000!) occur here more often than in any other Great Lake. As a result, lighthouses have been built wherever they can be of help. 

The lighthouses of Lake Erie are distributed across New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. They are wonderful not just for their help with navigation but for their historical relevance, beautiful designs, and scenic locations. Read on to discover the five most beautiful Lake Erie lighthouses and what to expect when you visit!

1. Toledo Harbor Lighthouse

The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse is famous for its gingerbread-house-like design. It is also one of the most expensive lighthouses on the Great Lakes. Lucas County, Ohio, built the lighthouse only eight miles from the head of the Maumee River in 1904. It stands at the crossroads of Maumee Bay and Lake Erie, the start of the Toledo Shipping Channel.

Construction and Design

The local Lighthouse Board requested the lighthouse as a replacement for the Turtle Island Lighthouse, constructed in 1831. The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse contained brick and steel beam reinforcements and stood four stories high. They also built living quarters, with room for one lighthouse keeper and two assistants to aid in maintaining the premises. They fitted the 85-foot-tall tower with a third-and-a-half-order Fresnel lens that extended its beam 24 miles. On May 23, 1904, the lighthouse was in full operation. 

Operational History

The United States Lighthouse Service originally operated it. It contained a seven-room basement with its own furnace, eating quarters, and even a general store for goods and services. Starting in 2003, the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society began restoring the lighthouse after years of wear. They eventually assumed ownership of it in April 2007.

Changes and Modern Viewings

In 1995, the Fresnel lens was removed and replaced with a solar-powered lens. However, the original is available for viewing at the Maumee Bay State Park Nature Center. The lighthouse is still in operation by the United States Coast Guard. You can view its unique exterior via state park boat tours.

2. Green Island Lighthouse 

As its name suggests, the Green Island Lighthouse is on Green Island. This Erie Archipelago contains a set of 21 islands on the west end of Lake Erie. The island is famous for its naturally occurring Celestite, a strontium mineral. Professionals use this to make everything from sugar beets to fireworks. The state of Ohio now operates the whole island as a wildlife refuge, adding to the travel allure.

Building the First Lighthouse

Workers built the lighthouse in 1854 on a budget of $5,000, supplied by the United States Congress. A choleric outbreak delayed its construction, but builders finished it by November of the same year. They installed a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The lighthouse was fully operating by the next year.

Tragedy Strikes on New Year’s Eve

On New Year’s Eve 1863, the structure burned to the ground during a winter storm that ravaged the island. In 1864, the city built a new lighthouse and two-story keepers’ quarters in its place. This time, builders used limestone to prevent any potential fires from destroying it.

Lighthouse’s Operational Changes

By 1926, the light was automated and remained in service until 1939. At that time, officials deemed the Green Island Lighthouse inoperable. The United States Coast Guard replaced it with a lighthouse made of steel in 1939. They built this one on the island’s southern end to help ships navigate Lake Erie’s South Passage. 

Ohio’s Ownership and the Haunting Beauty Today

The state of Ohio assumed ownership of the lighthouse in 1961. They soon turned Green Island into a bird sanctuary maintained by the Department of Natural Resources. Shockingly, another fire in April of 1974 occurred. It burned down everything but the tower and the outer shell of the living quarters behind it. The haunting remains, hidden amongst the trees, make the Green Island Lighthouse a unique place to visit. There is quite literally no other lighthouse like it!

3. South Bass Island Lighthouse 

The South Bass Island Lighthouse is part of the western basin of Lake Erie. This basin is a series of islands midway between Ohio and Ontario, Canada. By 1890, the islands were a steady source of limestone, cordwood, timber, and wine. With the opening of the Hotel Victory, record numbers of visitors (tallying over 15,000 annually) came to the island. Attention turned to its shallow reefs and the tricky conditions of the South Passage.

Need for a Lighthouse

Ships transporting both goods and tourists traversed this route in great numbers each year. The United States Lighthouse Board decided to petition for $8,600 to build a lighthouse to help guide them. In August 1894, officials approved their request, but it would take another three years to complete construction. 

Unique Design for Its Time

The South Bass Island Lighthouse was unusual for its day. It was a brick, two-story, 45-foot tower that connected to the keeper’s quarters, which was unusual for the time. They installed a fourth-order Fresnel lens that shone a red light out over the water. By the end of 1897, the lighthouse was fully operational. 

Changes in Ownership and Operation

Over the years, a vineyard, peach orchard, and farming operation were all started on the island. Additionally, a private citizen rented the lighthouse for $66.50 per month. They automated the lighthouse in 1926 and moved its Fresnel lens to the Lake Erie Island Historical Museum. The United States Coast Guard surrendered tower ownership to the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1967. Later, their Welfare Division sold it to Ohio State University, making it the only lighthouse owned by an American university. 

Recognition and Present-Day Attractions

By 1990, the South Bass Island Lighthouse had become a part of the National Register of Historic Places. In 2007, the property opened to the public for tours. Visitors to the island can enjoy the lighthouse and a barn and oil house from the 1800s. There is also a large state park, and plenty of camping, fishing, hiking, and kayaking on the island. It is the “Key West” of Lake Erie.

4. Lorain Lighthouse

The United States Army Corps of Engineers built the Lorain Lighthouse in 1917. Other names include the Lorain Harbor Light, the Jewel of the Port, and the Lorain West Breakwater Light.

Location and Structure

The Lorain Lighthouse is located just half a mile off the shore and accessible via a long dock. This structure stands as one of the more beautiful and singular lighthouses in the Great Lakes. Congress approved a budget of $35,000 as early as 1910 for the lighthouse. However, they didn’t complete construction until 1919. Concrete, wood, and limestone comprise the tower, which has three floors and a basement. They developed lighthouse keeper’s quarters in 1922, and a fourth-order Fresnel lens remained in operation until 1932. After this point, electricity was available to the island.

Management Changes and Preservation

In 1939, the United States Coast Guard assumed control of the lighthouse from its prior operators. It remained in service for another 26 years, but by 1965 the Coast Guard was ready to demolish the structure. They constructed an automated lighthouse to guide ships along the western side of the harbor. They welded shut the doors of the old building to keep vandals out.

Restoration, Modern Usage, and Recognition

The Save-the-Lighthouse committee transferred ownership of the Lorain Lighthouse to the Lorain County Historical Society by 1977. The following year it was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. Today the Lorain Lighthouse is open to the public for guided tours. It also hosts picnics under the fireworks on July 4th, along with sunset dinners complete with wine selections. During summer, citizens hold everything from weddings to corporate events and retirement parties at this historic building. The Lorain Lighthouse has won “Best Lighthouse on Lake Erie” for eight years in a row.

5. Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light

The Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light is a 42-foot-high tower at the mouth of the Grand River in Fairport Harbor. This area is just east of Cleveland, Ohio. It was finished in 1925 after a multi-year effort to replace the former lighthouse, which was converted into a museum.

Infrastructure and Initial Funding

Along with the tower, they constructed a cottage to house the lighthouse keepers who helped maintain the premises. Funding for the lighthouse was first approved in 1917 when Congress agreed to provide $42,000 to help with construction. By 1920, as the country recovered in the wake of World War I, they had only built the foundation.

Construction Details

Builders constructed the tower and keepers’ quarters offsite and moved them 147 miles across the lake via a tiny wooden steamer. Additional funding was provided in 1924, enabling work on the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light to continue. A fourth-order Fresnel lens was in operation by June 9, 1925, giving much need guidance to commercial shipping vessels along the busy harbor.

Recognition and Changes

In 1992, officials added the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light to the National Register of Historic Places. In August 2011, they auctioned off the keeper’s quarters to a civilian, who turned it into a summer home. The light was eventually automated and is still controlled by the United States Coast Guard.

Public Interaction and Nearby Attractions

Tours of the inside are not available to the public. But you can walk along the breakwater amongst the premises for a close look at this beautiful structure. Tourists often visit the Old Fairport Harbor Lighthouse in its current form as a museum. It is the first of its kind wholly dedicated to the history of lighthouses on the Great Lakes.

Summary of the 5 Most Beautiful Lake Erie Lighthouses

Built to prevent shipwrecks, these Lake Erie lighthouses are architectural wonders.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Lake Front Drones/Shutterstock.com