Cleveland Harbor East Pierhead Lighthouse

History

Cleveland asked the federal government for a lighthouse as early as 1818, when the town was still small but hoping to grow on canal traffic. Ohio Sea Grant traces the first light to 1829, a 63-foot tower on the bluff near what is now West 9th Street, put up by a local shipwright who also built early Lake Erie piers and lights.^[2] As the harbour was enlarged in the early twentieth century, the main entrance was framed by two piers, each with its own light.^[2]

The light on the east pierhead is a round cast-iron tower about 31 feet tall, painted white with a black lantern.^[3] The Lighthouse Directory dates it to 1911, while Ohio Sea Grant gives 1910 and says it originally held a fifth-order Fresnel lens.^[3,2] The National Register, which listed it in 1991, names W.L. Fisk in connection with its design.^[4] Today a small solar-powered plastic optic does the work.^[3,2]

It remains an active aid. The September 2026 Light List shows an isophase green light every six seconds at a focal height of 39 feet, the green marking the east side of the entrance just as the red light on the west pierhead marks the other.^[1]

The tower has had an eventful recent history. In 2005 the Coast Guard lifted it off temporarily while the pier was repaired, and it was back in place by November.^[3] Offered under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act in 2007, it drew no qualified taker and was sold at a federal auction in August 2009 to a private buyer.^[3] Like the west pierhead, it sits at the end of a pier with no connection to shore, so it is seen from the lakefront plaza or from the water.^[3,2]

How to see it

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

Best public viewpoint

The waterfront plaza behind the Great Lakes Science Center and the museum ship William G. Mather; the tower stands across the harbour entrance from the larger west pierhead light.^[2]

Tower climbs

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

Operator

U.S. Coast Guard (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 Cleveland East Pierhead Lighthouse?

No. It is privately owned, and its pier does not connect to shore. View it from the plaza behind the Great Lakes Science Center or from a harbour cruise.

Why is one Cleveland pier light green and the other red?

They mark opposite sides of the harbour entrance. The east pierhead shows Iso G 6s and the west pierhead Fl R 6s in the September 2026 Light List.