Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse

Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light and Marine Museum.
Location	129 2nd St., Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Coordinates	41°45′25.07″N 81°16′38.33″W / 41.7569639°N 81.2773139°W / 41.7569639; -81.2773139
Tower
Constructed	1871
Foundation	Dressed Stone, Timber/Piling
Construction	Sandstone & Brick
Height	60 feet (18 m)
Shape	Conical
Markings	Natural Berea Sandstone
Heritage	National Register of Historic Places listed place
Light
First lit	1871
Deactivated	1925
Lens	Third Order Fresnel - 1871
Fairport Marine Museum
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1871 (1871)
NRHP reference No.	71000642[1]
Added to NRHP	November 5, 1971

The Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light is located in the village of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. The lighthouse was built in 1871 and has a 60-foot tower with a detached keeper's house. The light was decommissioned in 1925, replaced by the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light.

At one time the Coast guard considered using the keeper's house to house their personnel and demolish the tower but a letter writing campaign by local residents prevented it from happening. In 1945 the Coast Guard turned over ownership of the light to the town.

The tower is open to the public and the keeper's house currently serves as the Fairport Harbor Marine Museum and Lighthouse (the first of its kind in the country), operated by the Fairport Harbor Historical Society. Visitors can climb the lighthouse for a view of the harbor. Founded in 1945, the museum features exhibits about the history of the lighthouse and its keepers, a Fresnel lens, lifesaving equipment, life on the Great Lakes, ship models and maritime artifacts. There is a gift shop. The former pilothouse from the Great Lakes carrier the Frontenac is attached to the museum's building. The museum is open seasonally, and is located at 129 Second Street. The lighthouse and museum are said to be haunted. Legend has it that a ghost cat haunts the facility. Volunteers and tourists alike have reported feeling a cat rub against them, although the cat is never seen.^[2]