Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse

History

Ashtabula's harbour has been lit since 1836, when a short six-sided wooden tower was placed on a crib off the east pier.^[2] Changes to the harbour moved the light to the west pier, and when the river mouth was widened and a breakwater built in 1905, the third and present lighthouse went up.^[2]

It did not stay where it was built. In the mid-1910s the building was moved out to a concrete crib at the end of the lengthened breakwater and enlarged to house the keepers; the sources date the move to 1915 or 1916 and give different distances for it.^[2,3,4] The result is a two-storey house with a round tower rising from the middle of its roof, built of heavy steel plate.^[3,4]

Its exposed position brought trouble. In 1927 a steamer struck the station hard enough to shift it about six inches on its base.^[2,3] A year later an ice storm sealed the building in ice; the keepers needed two days to thaw the door and then had to dig their way out through about five feet of ice.^[2] Keepers lived here until 1973, later than at any other Lake Erie light, when the station was finally automated.^[4,5]

The fourth-order Fresnel lens used here until 1995 was restored and is displayed at the maritime museum in the former keepers' house on shore.^[3,2] A preservation society formed in 2003, applied under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, and took ownership in 2007; with state help it has repainted the lighthouse and replaced doors and windows.^[2,3] The Coast Guard still keeps the light, a yellow flash every six seconds at a focal height of 51 feet.^[1]

How to see it

View from shore Best seen from a public park, beach or pier nearby.

Best public viewpoint

From Ashtabula Harbor near the river mouth, where Ohio Sea Grant points visitors to the marine museum overlooking the harbour; the lighthouse itself is reachable only by boat.^[3]

Tower climbs

No public tower climbs have been offered, as far as our sources show.

Operator

Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration and Preservation Society; the U.S. Coast Guard maintains the light

Last verified

Last verified 2026-10

Access details last verified 2026-10. Hours, tours and ownership change. Check the operator before you go. Pier and breakwater lights can be dangerous in wind and waves; obey posted closures and never enter private or Coast Guard property.

Questions people ask

Can you visit the Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse?

Not routinely. It stands near the end of a long breakwater and is reachable only by boat; the site and tower are closed. The restoration society's website has the latest on any events.

Why is the Ashtabula light yellow?

The USCG Light List assigns it a yellow flash every six seconds (Fl Y 6s), which sets it apart from the other lights around the harbour entrance.

When were the last keepers at Ashtabula?

Keepers lived at the Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse until 1973, when it became the last Lake Erie light to be automated.