{"nrhp_refnum":"78002108","name":"Lorain Lighthouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Lorain Harbor","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lorain","county":"Lorain County","state":"OH","lat":41.477382533000025,"lon":-82.19024723299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-12-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Engineering","Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story poured concrete lighthouse built in 1909 on a concrete foundation at the northern tip of the western breakwall of Lorain Harbor in Lake Erie, Lorain, Ohio. It is reachable only by boat.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a unique example of a vanishing structure type and a prominent local landmark. It is tied to the harbor improvements that let Lorain serve its new heavy industry, including steel and shipbuilding. Its rescue from planned demolition in the 1960s also marks its local importance.","narrative":"Rising from a concrete platform at the end of Lorain Harbor's western breakwall, this lighthouse sits in Lake Erie and can be reached only by boat. Built in 1909 for $19,800 by the Light House Board, it is a three-story poured concrete building with a gable roof, regularly spaced windows with steel shutters, and a square cupola-like tower at one corner, giving it a house-like look. It served as both a light station and a residence for a Coast Guard crew. The lighthouse was part of federal harbor improvements that helped Lorain handle ore, coal and shipyard traffic for its steel mill and shipbuilding industries. When a new automatic light replaced it in 1966, demolition was planned, but citizen and city council efforts led the Coast Guard to cancel the contract. The Lorain County Historical Society received title in 1976 and is responsible for restoration.","period_of_significance":"1909","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Deactivated as a lighthouse in 1966 when a new automatic light replaced it; deteriorated since, though the basic structure remains solid. Title passed to the Lorain County Historical Society in 1976 for restoration and maintenance.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.168573-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/78002108.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002108/ad90d8cc58-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002108/ad90d8cc58-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.5","author":"Original uploader was Ronnie44052 at en.wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lorain_West_Breakwater_Light,_Lorain_OH.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Original uploader was Ronnie44052 at en.wikipedia</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.5</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lorain_West_Breakwater_Light,_Lorain_OH.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989833","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorain_West_Breakwater_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6678743"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lorain-county/lorain-lighthouse-78002108/"}