The Marblehead Lighthouse, originally known as the Sandusky Bay Light, was built in 1821 on the eastern most tip of the Marblehead Peninsula. It is the second oldest Lighthouse on the Great Lakes and the oldest continuous working lighthouse on the Great Lakes.

Its construction was justified by the dangerous, rocky shoreline that borders the Marblehead Peninsula and to help boats navigate the entrance to Sandusky Bay. For many years, the lighthouse was the only aid to navigation in or around the Sandusky Bay region.

With the addition of the Cedar Point Light and newer Sandusky Bay lights, buoys and range lights, the actual need for the Marblehead Lighthouse as an aid to navigation is not really necessary.

Monies for the construction of the Marblehead Lighthouse were appropriated from the fifteenth Congress, where they set aside $5,000 for construction of the Marblehead Lighthouse. The actual cost was $6,520.

In September of 1821, on four acres of land purchased from Epaphras W. Bull, construction began on the Marblehead Lighthouse. The person in charge of construction was a man by the name of William Kelly. With two other helpers, work was completed on the lighthouse nearly 11 weeks later, November of 1821.

The first lighthouse keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse was Benajah Wolcott. He worked for an annual salary of $350.00. He held the position for ten years before passing away from cholera. He contracted cholera from burying bodies that washed ashore of people who had died from cholera. That was a method used years ago by many communities instead of burying. After his death, his wife Rachel took over the position. The Wolcotts lived in a small stone house on the bay side of the peninsula near Johnson Island. The original light that was tended consisted of 13 small lamps, which had unique round wicks, that had a way of drawing air into the center for a brighter flame. The fuel of the day consisted of whale oil, which was stored in a small tank near the lighthouse.

In 1923 a highly specialized Fresnel lens was shipped over from France to be installed in the Marblehead Lighthouse. The French produced crystal lens was flawless. It had a 330,000 candlelight power rating and was five feet in diameter. The light was so bright it could be seen for sixteen miles on a clear night. It is said that every time the lighthouse illuminated the whole town of Marblehead would light up.

In 1923 the lighthouse was converted from oil to a more convenient power source, electricity. The same Fresnel lens was used electricity until 1969, when it was dismantled and taken out of commission. The new lens is what is in the lighthouse today. This 300mrn light flashes a green glow every 3 seconds and can be seen for more than seven miles on a clear night. The new Fresnel lens weighed a total of fifteen pounds (still in service) as compared to the old Fresnel lens that weighted nearly 14,000 pounds.

After the Fresnel lens was removed from the lighthouse it was shipped to Detroit, by the United States Coast Guard, where it stayed for a few months. Local residents felt as if part of Marblehead had been removed from the area when the lens was shipped north. Later, a small group of Marblehead citizens took the initiative to drive up to Detroit and returned the lens, a part of the areas history, back home.

Upon return of the lens it was stored in the garage of a local resident until 1984 when it was moved to the Marblehead United States Coast Guard Station. For twenty years it was located at the base of the steps leading into the station�s Mess Deck. In 2005, it was moved to the Keeper�s House museum at the lighthouse. It can be seen there today.

Structurally the Marblehead lighthouse has had only one major change. At the turn of the 20th century another fifteen feet was added to the lighthouse. When the old lantern was removed from the Fresnel lens, the octagon iron cupola was suspended seventy feet above the ground while another fifteen feet of masonry was added to the already tall structure.

A point of interest to be noted is when some exterior work was completed in 1969 the contractor stripped the old skin off the lighthouse and applied stucco finish. The contractor's name was William Kelly, the same name as the original builder of the lighthouse.

The beautiful 85 feet high lighthouse normally has a clear view of Kellys Island and Cedar Point, as well as the Sandusky area.. The base of the lighthouse is 25 feet in diameter with a gradual taper shrinking to a diameter of 12 feet. At the base, the walls have a thickness of five feet to help support the structure made up of native limestone taken from the area quarries. At the top, the inner wall thickness is two feet. Inside the lighthouse, the wall consist of clay bricks that border the eighty-seven spiraling steps to the top where the lighthouse keepers watch is located. These bricks anchor the outside edge of the spiraling steps.

In 1998 the ownership of the Marblehead Lighthouse changed over from the United States Coast Guard to the State of Ohio. At that time, guardianship of the lighthouse structure was given to the Ohio Department of Natural Recourse (ODNR), Division of Parks as the seventy-third (73) Park.

The light, an aid to navigation, is still maintained by the United States Coast Guard "Aids To Navigation" team.

Tours of the Lighthouse are conducted in the summer by ODNR Division of Parks through the week. There is a nominal charge.

Content provided by James Kriner, Flotilla 16-12