Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light

Last updated
Fairport Harbor Lighthouse
Fairportharborvillagelighthouse.jpg
Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light and Marine Museum.
Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light
Location129 2nd St., Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Coordinates 41°45′25.07″N81°16′38.33″W / 41.7569639°N 81.2773139°W / 41.7569639; -81.2773139 Coordinates: 41°45′25.07″N81°16′38.33″W / 41.7569639°N 81.2773139°W / 41.7569639; -81.2773139
Tower
Constructed1871  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
FoundationDressed Stone, Timber/Piling
ConstructionSandstone & Brick
Height60 feet (18 m)
ShapeConical
MarkingsNatural Berea Sandstone
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Light
First lit1871
Deactivated1925
LensThird Order Fresnel - 1871
Fairport Marine Museum
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1871 (1871)
NRHP reference No. 71000642 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 5, 1971

The Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light is located in the village of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. The lighthouse was built in 1871 and has a 60-foot tower with a detached keeper's house. The light was decommissioned in 1925, replaced by the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light.

Contents

At one time the Coast guard considered using the keeper's house to house their personnel and demolish the tower but a letter writing campaign by local residents prevented it from happening. In 1945 the Coast Guard turned over ownership of the light to the town.

The tower is open to the public and the keeper's house currently serves as the Fairport Harbor Marine Museum and Lighthouse (the first of its kind in the country), operated by the Fairport Harbor Historical Society. Visitors can climb the lighthouse for a view of the harbor. Founded in 1945, the museum features exhibits about the history of the lighthouse and its keepers, a Fresnel lens, lifesaving equipment, life on the Great Lakes, ship models and maritime artifacts. There is a gift shop. The former pilothouse from the Great Lakes carrier the Frontenac is attached to the museum's building. The museum is open seasonally, and is located at 129 Second Street. The lighthouse and museum are said to be haunted. Legend has it that a ghost cat haunts the facility. Volunteers and tourists alike have reported feeling a cat rub against them, although the cat is never seen. [2]

Location

The Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light is located at the intersection of Second and High Streets in the village of Fairport Harbor.

See also

Notes

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "Haunted Lighthouses: Fairport Harbor". Archived from the original on 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2009-08-13.

Sources

Further reading

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