FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2000

COLUMBUS, OH – The on-site lighthouse keeper’s home at Marblehead Lighthouse State Park on Lake Erie opened to public tours in June, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

"Now visitors to Ohio’s newest state park can see not only the Great Lakes’ oldest lighthouse in continuous operation, but also the nearby dwelling which was home to most of those who kept its beacon burning bright," said Dan West, chief of Ohio State Parks.

Fourteen people served as Marblehead Lighthouse keepers between 1822, when the lighthouse was built, and 1946, when the last civilian keeper resigned. The private home of Benajah Wolcott, the first lighthouse keeper, still stands on the Sandusky Bay side of Marblehead Peninsula. It remains under the care of the Ottawa County Historical Society.

The most recent on-site keeper’s house, built in 1880, is located just a few yards from the lighthouse. Until recently, it served as a residence for state park staff. Last year, it was renovated into a museum to showcase the history of the lighthouse, the Great Lakes shipping industry and the Marblehead-Catawba area. Various volunteers, members of the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society, the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and Ohio State Parks contributed to the displays.

Currently, the on-site keeper’s house also features a display about the Johnson Island Civil War Prison Camp. That exhibit is on loan from the Johnson Island Historical Society. Johnson Island is located a few miles south of the lighthouse in Sandusky Bay.

Park officials plan to enlarge the museum’s displays as additional items of interest come available. Donations to the on-site keeper’s house displays can be arranged through the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society. Information on society membership is available from the park’s naturalist at (419) 734-4424.

ODNR assumed ownership of the lighthouse and surrounding property from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1998, naming it as Ohio’s 73rd state park. About 200 visitors climb the 87 steps to the top of the lighthouse every summer weekday afternoon. The lighthouse is open to the public on weekdays from 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. until Sept. 1. Volunteers from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary also conduct tours every second Saturday from June 1 to Sept. 3. At night, the U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the lighthouse beacon for the safety of Lake Erie boat traffic.

Built in 1822, the lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of Ohio’s most-photographed landmarks. Its familiar silhouette has appeared on a U.S. postage stamp and continues to grace the state’s Lake Erie protection license plates. From the top of the 65-foot tower, visitors can view an expanse of Sandusky Bay, Kelleys Island and South Bass Island.

History of the lighthouse is long and colorful. From post-Revolutionary War days when its candlepower came from 13 whale-oil lamps, to modern times when its green beacon was electrified and automated, Marblehead’s signal has protected boaters from some of Lake Erie’s most unpredictable waters. Although no figures are documented, historians believe Marblehead Lighthouse has saved more lives than any other lighthouse on the Great Lakes.

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For Further Information Contact:
Ina Brolis, East Harbor State Park Manager
(419) 734-4424
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860