Many thanks to Dave Kramer, an energetic member of the Board of the Lorain Lighthouse preservation group. He took this stunning picture from a helicopter. He has agreed to share it with lighthouse lovers on the Internet.
Lighthouses have guided mariners into the port of Lorain for 160 years. A lantern that hung from a crude pole on a break-wall at the mouth of the Black River was replaced in 1837 by Lorain's first light station - a wooden structure. A second went up in 1875. Determined to build a station that would last through the ages, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed the current Lorain lighthouse in 1917 at a cost of $35.000.Set on top a wood, stone and cement base sunk deep into the lake bottom, the two-story station house was fitted with concrete and steel walls ten inches thick. Steel shutters protect the numerous windows and a heavy steel railing surrounds the building. The square light tower rises from the second story, topped by a sturdy, cast-iron lantern house.
The handsome structure was definitely built to take on the worst Lake Erie could throw at it. The trusty beacon, which could be seen for 15 miles, served until 1965 when it was decommissioned by the Coast Guard and extinguished. Taking over its duties was a small, fully automated light placed at the end of a new break-wall across the channel. With the station no longer of any use, the Coast Guard announced it would be demolished.
Determined to save the symbol of their port, the citizens of Lorain formed an association and funds were raised. The station was turned over to the association in 1966.Over the past 30 years, ownership of the lighthouse has changed hands amongst several different protective groups. Today it is owned by the Port of Lorain Association and is being slowly restored by dedicated preservation volunteers. Improvements have included an exterior paint job in 1981 and much need foundation stabilization by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1994. Last year further foundation work was completed and a new wall surrounding the base was installed. Plans are someday to open the restored lighthouse for public tours. The lighthouse is located at the end of a break-wall and off-limits to visitors.
