Cleveland, Ohio

Harbour Lights Limited Edition #266
Gone But Not Forgotten

When you look at historic photographs of Cleveland Light, one could easily imagine a fairytale story unfolding within the manor walls. The regal tower, tall and stately in its magnificent design, could have easily housed a Sleeping Beauty, a longhaired Rapunzel or a newly wedded Cinderella. But there was no need for a fairytale ending here, for real heroes ascended the heights of Cleveland Light each day, lighting the lamps for passing ships.

The castle-like sentinel once stood as an American fortress, casting its light from atop a hill overlooking Lake Erie. The regal brickwork and ornate ironwork was a wondrous sight to behold as mariners approached the Cuyahoga River.

Illuminated in 1838, the beacon worked in tandem with a nearby pier light that stood six hundred feet out on the lake. Although the Cleveland Light itself was an impressive daymark, it was hard to spot at night and became less and less distinguishable from other land light sources. In 1882, officials replaced the mineral-oil lamps in the main light with gas, hoping to increase its effectiveness. But it became more and more apparent that the pier light was far more helpful to vessels passing nearby, rendering the hilltop beacon useless. Plans were made to refurbish the pier light, while renovations to the main light were abandoned.

To bolster the efficiency of the pier light, workers completed a breakwater in 1885 and prepared it for the relocation of the iron tower from the Genesee light station. The sentinel, fog bell and fourth order Fresnel lens now were moved to the pier and was connected to the shore by an elevated walkway. With the new pier light in place, the main lighthouse was permanently darkened.

After years of neglect and extensive damage from a nearby fire, the hilltop Cleveland Light officially closed in 1896.  It was sold years later to the County Commissioners of Cuyahoga County, Ohio for $40,000. But despite their best efforts to save the historic lighthouse, the sentinel was beyond repair. With the dismantling of Cleveland Light, the fairytale castle was lost forever, living only in the memory of lighthouse lovers and historians. Cleveland Light is gone, but not forgotten.  

 

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