Marblehead Lighthouse,

the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes,

has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822. From clipper ship mates to freighter crews, generations of seafarers have relied upon the glowing signal of the Marblehead Lighthouse to pierce the night and the fog, offering safe passage. For shippers, the lighthouse has always been a utilitarian structure, housing the necessary equipment that protects the vessels conducting Great Lakes commerce. To artists, photographers and tourists, the lighthouse is a monument to the romance of the Ohio’s "freshwater sea" and the seafaring life.

In 1819, shortly before adjourning, the fifteenth U. S. Congress recognized the need for navigational aides along the Great Lakes. Too many sailors perished as their wooden-hulled ships were dashed to splinters on rocky shorelines in the fierce and unpredictable storms that lash the lakes. The sixteenth Congress set aside $5,000 for construction of a light tower along the south shore of Lake Erie. The site selected was Rocky Point on the tip of Marblehead Peninsula at the narrow entrance to Sandusky Bay. The shoreline here is especially shallow and treacherous; as far as 400 feet from shore, the water depth is only 10 to 12 feet.

Work began in 1821 on the 50-foot light tower, referred to at that time as the Sandusky Bay Light. William Kelly, a talented stone mason who built many of the historic stone structures in the Sandusky area, constructed the tower of native limestone. When he finished, the base of the tower was 25 feet in diameter, with walls five feet thick. The diameter narrowed to 12 feet at the top, with two-foot thick walls. A modest home for the lighthouse keeper and his family was built alongside.

Through history, 15 lighthouse keepers, two of whom were women, have tended the beacon. More than a job, the post of lighthouse keeper entailed a unique lifestyle for the keeper and his or her family. The lighthouse keeper’s duties were often lonely and tedious, and could be downright dangerous when storms blew. Month after month, every night without fail, the lighthouse keeper’s vigil included keeping a log of passing ships and noting the weather conditions while tending to the all-important beacon. Until 1875, the lighthouse keeper was also responsible for organizing rescue efforts when ships foundered. Despite the hardships, it was a life that gripped those who chose it for 10, 20, even 30 years.

The first keeper was Benajah Wolcott, a Revolutionary War veteran and one of the first settlers on the peninsula. He was appointed to the post in 1822 at an annual salary of $350. Wolcott’s family lived in a small stone home he built on the Sandusky Bay side of the peninsula. Each night, Wolcott climbed to the top of the lighthouse tower and lit the wicks of the 13 Argand whale oil lamps that were the original light fixture. The lamps were specially designed to burn brightly, with round wicks and a tube by which air was fed into the flame. The wicks required frequent trimming to minimize smoke. Sixteen-inch-diameter metal reflectors behind each lamp helped project the light across the lake.

Upon Wolcott’s death in 1832, his wife, Rachel, took over his duties, becoming the first woman lighthouse keeper on the Great Lakes. Rachel tended the light herself for two years and then married Jeremiah van Benschoten, who became the third lighthouse keeper. He served as keeper for 10 years, cementing Rachel’s connection with the lighthouse for a period of more than 20 years. The romance of the lighthouse apparently sparked another kind of romance in the people closely associated with it. In 1835, Benajah Wolcott’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Pettibone, wed John Reid Kelly, son of William Kelly, who built the lighthouse. They were married by a circuit riding preacher making his rounds on the peninsula.

Four more lighthouse keepers, Roderick Williston, Charles Drake, Lodavick Brown, and Jared Keyes, carried on the traditional duties as Great Lakes commerce flourished in the 1840s and ’50s. Technology imported from Europe in 1858 brought needed change. The primitive light fixture was replaced by a fourth order Fresnel lens. This highly specialized device, invented in France in 1822, used a series of prisms to bend and concentrate the light from a single oil lamp to create a powerful lighthouse signal visible for several miles. The Fresnel lens was an expensive novelty on the Great Lakes, but whale oil was becoming scarce and costly as well. Lard oil, and later kerosene, were adopted as low-cost alternatives for lamp fuel.

Lighthouse keeper D.L. Dayton kept the new lens polished and glistening until 1861. Thomas Dyer took over the lighthouse duties during the Civil War. In 1870, during keeper Russell Douglas’ tenure, the name was changed from Sandusky Bay Light to Marblehead Lighthouse. Thomas Keyes took the lighthouse keeper post in 1872, but resigned 11 months later.

On May 1, 1875, the ship Consuela wrecked in a violent storm off Kelleys Island. George McGee was lighthouse keeper at the time; he recruited volunteers including brothers Lucien, Hubbard and Ai Clemons, to help with the rescue effort. The brave volunteers took a lifeboat into the churning water and pulled two of the ship’s sailors to safety. The brothers were awarded the medal of honor for heroism for rescue of persons in distress upon American waters. A lifesaving station was built one-half mile west of the lighthouse in 1876. Lucien Clemons was named the first commander and remained in that position for 21 years. The lighthouse keeper was relieved of primary responsibility for organizing rescue efforts.

In 1880, a new wooden frame lighthouse keeper’s dwelling was built to take place of the old stone house on the lighthouse grounds. The exterior of the lighthouse tower was covered with stucco to protect the tower from harsh weather and crashing waves. Keeper George McGee died in 1896 and was succeeded by his assistant, and wife, Johanna McGee.

The turn of the century ushered in new technology as well as structural changes including the addition of a watch room in 1897. The addition was made of brick and added another 15 feet to the tower’s height, raising the beacon to 67 feet above the water surface. An 87-step iron spiral staircase was installed, replacing the wooden ladders that led to the beacon. 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 was ordered from Paris and installed after being exhibited at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

Charles "Cap" Hunter, lighthouse keeper from 1903 to 1933, was something of a local celebrity. He recognized the public’s fascination with the lighthouse and welcomed visitors. He spun stories and sang songs of fierce storms and shipwrecks, stalwart lighthouse keepers of the past and the ever faithful beacon.

Modern conveniences came slowly--an electric light finally replaced the kerosene lantern in 1923, dramatically increasing the candlepower of the signal. During World War II, the lighthouse became strategically important for national defense, as well as commerce, and the United States Coast Guard began patrolling the shores. The last civilian lighthouse keeper, Edward Herman, resigned after a total of 30 years of service; 20 years as Hunter’s assistant, and an additional 10 years as lighthouse keeper after Hunter’s retirement. The United States Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the beacon in 1946.

The beacon was automated in 1958 with the installation of an electric time clock, silencing the nightly footfalls on the 87 winding steps. In 1969, the timeless tower was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and its weatherbeaten exterior was given a fresh coat of new stucco. The light fixture was replaced with a modern 300-millimeter plastic lens that projects a flashing green signal every six seconds, visible for 11 nautical miles—as far as the eye can see on a clear day. The distinctive green signal is Marblehead’s characteristic signature, easily recognized by a ship captain charting his or her position in Lake Erie waters.

Although the U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate and maintain the lighthouse beacon, it declared the lighthouse tower surplus property in 1996. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources proudly accepted ownership of the Marblehead Lighthouse tower in 1998 as Ohio’s 73^rd state park with a commitment to perform necessary renovations and improve visitor facilities. With tender loving care, this public treasure will charm Lake Erie visitors for generations to come, and the beloved beacon will continue to shine and protect boaters from peril in Lake Erie’s unpredictable waters along her rocky shores.

--Jean Backs, Editor

Marblehead Lighthouse tours are offered on summer weekends and holidays. Benajah Wolcott’s stone house on Bayshore Road is still standing and is being restored as "The Keeper’s House Museum" by the Ottawa County Historical Society. The wooden-frame keeper’s house built in 1880 still stands and is currently in use as a park residence. Special thanks to Betty Neidecker, author of The Eternal Flame, and Virginia Parks of the Ottawa County Historical Society for their advice and editorial assistance.

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