{"nrhp_refnum":"83001943","name":"Ashtabula Harbor Light","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Ashtabula Harbor","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ashtabula","county":"Ashtabula County","state":"OH","lat":41.91842496700008,"lon":-80.79565107099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-08-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A harbor light and fog signal station on the west pierhead at the entrance to Ashtabula Harbor on Lake Erie, Ohio, first built in 1904-1905 and moved and enlarged in 1916.","why_significant":"The record states the lighthouse played an important role in the development of Ashtabula as a port, which became a major shipping center for coal and iron ore after rail links arrived in 1872. It also retains notable original equipment, including a 1896 Fresnel lens and parts of its clockwork drive.","narrative":"Marking the entrance to Ashtabula Harbor on Lake Erie, this light and fog signal station sits on the west pierhead, about 600 feet from the north end of the west breakwater. It was first built in 1904-1905. After the pier was extended, the building was moved to its present spot on 30 June 1916 and enlarged. The square, two-story steel-framed building is clad in white-painted iron plate, with a conical light tower at its northwest corner. The cast iron lantern has brass fittings and a circular gallery. Its 4th-order Fresnel lens, made by Barbier & Benard of Paris in 1896, shows a flashing white light with a nominal range of 23 miles. Parts of the original clockwork remain, though the lens drive became electric in 1959. The station was last manned in 1973. It matters because it served a harbor that grew into an important coal and iron ore port after rail connections arrived in 1872.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition with interior, exterior and surroundings intact; last manned in 1973 and now operates on shore power as a harbor light.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.019862-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/15/8907/28890715/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/83001943.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001943/362997fd04-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001943/362997fd04-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"US gov","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ashtabula_harbor_light.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">US gov</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ashtabula_harbor_light.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28890715","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtabula_Harbor_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q726301"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/ashtabula-county/ashtabula-harbor-light-83001943/"}