William Kelly and a crew of two men began construction of the conical tower in 1821. Choosing an outcropping of limestone on the northern tip of the peninsula for their building site, they completed the project in eleven weeks. By November, the rocky shoreline was home to a 50-foot tower with a spiraling staircase leading to the top. The base measured 25 feet in diameter with walls five feet thick; the top tapered to 12 feet in diameter with walls two feet thick. The inner walls were made of clay brick while the outer walls were constructed of limestone, quarried nearby on the peninsula. (Limestone from the same area would later be used to build the Empire State Building in New York City.) The lighthouse cost $7,232 to build and was the only navigational aid in the Sandusky Bay region for many years; in fact, the tower was called the “Sandusky Bay Light” until 1870. Its first beacon consisted of 13 small whale oil lamps with round wicks and a set of sixteen-inch-diameter reflectors.

Marblehead’s first keeper, Benajah Wolcott, was a Revolutionary War veteran and one of the first settlers on the peninsula. Wolcott and his family lived in a small home, also constructed of limestone by Kelly, on the Sandusky side of the peninsula. The dwelling is the oldest known residence still standing in Ottawa County, and is touted as “a fine example of a ‘hall and parlor house.’ ” Today, the Keeper's House is used as a museum by the Ottawa County Historical Society. Each night, Benajah Wolcott would go to the tower to light its 13 wicks. In addition to this daily task, Wolcott kept a record of ships that passed, noted weather conditions and organized rescue efforts.

Marblehead Lighthouse in 1897 with original lantern room Photograph courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

Wolcott had served for ten years at Marblehead when he passed away in 1832. Upon his death, his wife Rachel took over his duties, making her the first female lighthouse keeper on the Great Lakes. Loderick Brown served as keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse from 1849 to 1853. Interestingly, his wife, Margaret Kelly Brown was the daughter of William Kelly, who constructed the lighthouse. A second female keeper, Mrs. Johanne McGee, served at the lighthouse from 1896 to 1903, and Charles Hunter was head keeper from began 1903 to 1933.

In 1858, Marblehead’s whale oil lamps were replaced by a single kerosene lantern, magnified by a Fresnel lens. Several years later, during the Civil War, more than 10,000 Confederate soldiers would be held at nearby Johnson Island. From their prison they could see the lantern, and diaries kept during that time indicate that many of them looked at it and dreamed of returning home.

The area surrounding Marblehead continued to develop after the Civil War. In 1876 a lifesaving station was constructed one-half mile west of the lighthouse. Lucien Clemons was named the first commander. He had proven his bravery the year before when he and his two brothers saved two sailors after their ship wrecked off the peninsula.

Four years later, in 1880, the limestone exterior of Marblehead, untouched till this time, was covered with stucco and painted white. In addition, a dwelling was built next to the lighthouse so that its keeper could always be close by.

Near the turn of the century, in 1897, fifteen feet of brick was added to the top of Marblehead. The 65-foot tower could now accommodate a watch room, as well as a more advanced lighting system. A rotating mechanism called a “clockwork system” was installed. The system resembled a large grandfather clock with weights in a large pipe in the center. The keeper would crank the weights to the top every three hours, and as they descended, a metal table would rotate. The tower's kerosene lantern sat on top of the table, and the result was a bright flash of light every ten seconds. The light was made even more brilliant when magnified by the 14,000-pound Fresnel lens. Measuring five feet in diameter, the lens made the beacon shine with the power of 330,000 candles.

Fresnel lens used in Marblehead Lighthouse

In 1923, Marblehead’s kerosene lantern was converted to electricity, but retained the same Fresnel lens, increasing the candlepower of the signal. This new electric light would prove to be of strategic importance several years later during World War II.

Marblehead’s last civilian keeper, Edward Herman, resigned in 1943 after ten years of service. The U.S. Coast Guard then assumed responsibility for the lighthouse, automating it fifteen years later and giving it a fresh coat of stucco.

1969 was another year of major renovation for Marblehead. The stucco on the exterior was removed, revealing the original stone and brickwork, as well as oblong openings in the masonry. The openings were approximately five feet apart, spiraling in a pattern up to the top of the tower, and had been created when William Kelly and his men placed timbers into the stonework to support their scaffold as they built the tower in 1821. Coincidentally, the contractor who applied the new stucco finish in 1969 was also named William Kelly. While the tower’s exterior was receiving a face-lift, the interior saw a change in its beacon as a 300 mm lens was installed. With the new 15-pound lens in place, the tower flashed a green light every six seconds. The green light distinguished the lighthouse signal from the white lights of the surrounding air beacons and could be seen for eleven nautical miles. Upon removal, the original Fresnel lens was placed on display in the Marblehead Coast Guard Station.

In January 1997, Marblehead’s tower and the small plot of land surrounding it were declared surplus federal property by the Coast Guard. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) applied for ownership, as they already owned and took care of the property adjacent to the lighthouse, including a picnic grove, visitor parking and the keeper’s historic house. (At the time, these were part of the East Harbor State Park.) The National Park Service encouraged the General Services Administration to grant ODNR’s request, and in April 1998 a letter arrived informing ODNR that their application had been accepted. One month later, ODNR assumed ownership of the lighthouse, planning to invest up to $1,000,000 to renovate the structure, protect it from shore erosion and provide additional visitor amenities. Under an agreement with ODNR, the U.S. Coast Guard's Aides to Navigation Team in Huron, Ohio, maintains the tower's automated beacon.

On September 1, 2001, TSC Building Restoration started renovations of the lighthouse tower and the adjacent Victorian keeper's quarters. Deteriorated brickwork in the tower was rebuilt and cracks in the tower’s stucco shell were patched. The keeper's dwelling was elevated on jacks so that rotting support columns and beams could be replaced. Siding on the dwelling was replaced, and inside, original oak floors were restored and the kitchen ceiling was rebuilt. The dwelling also received several modern conveniences: lighting, air conditioning, and a wheelchair lift.

In 2004, Marblehead's historic third-order Fresnel lens returned home. After being on display at the Marblehead Coast Guard Station for many years, the lens was placed on display in the recently renovated keeper's dwelling. Besides the tower and dwelling, a barn remains standing on the lighthouse property.

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References

1. "Marblehead Lighthouse State Park," Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Tours of Marblehead Lighthouse are offered on weekday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. after Memorial Day until the Friday before Labor Day. They are also offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on the second Saturday of the month during June and July, as well as during the annual Lighthouse Festival in October. Call (419) 734-4424 x 2 for confirmation of tour times. The grounds surrounding the tower are great for picnicking and offer lovely views of Lake Erie, Sandusky Bay, Kelleys Island and South Bass Island. This is also the only area of the United States where the tiny "Lake Side Daisy," a protected species, can be found.

The Wolcott's stone dwelling, located a couple of miles from the lighthouse, typically has the same visitor hours as the lighthouse. For more information call the Ottawa County Visitors Bureau (419) 798-9339.