Marblehead Lighthouse
Also known as: Sandusky Bay Lighthouse
_3_(48401296487).jpg){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Marblehead Lighthouse is a lime-white, cone-shaped stone tower on State Route 163 in Marblehead, Ohio, marking the entrance to Sandusky Bay. It stands 55 feet high, measures 25 feet across at the base and 12 feet at the top, and has walls five feet thick at the bottom. Congress authorized the lighthouse in 1820 and construction began in 1821. Stephen Pleasonton, General Superintendent of Lights in the Treasury Department, chose the site because it overlooks the bay entrance. Stephen Woolverton held the contract and sublet the work to William Kelley, who had come to Ohio from New York in 1818. It was the second lighthouse built on the Great Lakes and is described as the oldest in continuous operation there. The tower remains much as first built, apart from a few feet added at the top to hold an improved lighting system. The U.S. Coast Guard owned it at the time of listing, and the nomination rated its significance as local.
Significance in brief: It was the second lighthouse built on the Great Lakes and is described as the oldest in continuous operation there. Congress authorized it in 1820, and the site was chosen because it overlooks the entrance to Sandusky Bay. The nomination rates its significance as local.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 69000148, listed December 17, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | OH 163, Marblehead |
|---|---|
| County | Ottawa County |
| Listed | December 17, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000148 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1821) |
| Architect / builder | Contractor Stephen Woolverton, who sublet construction to William Kelley; site selected by Stephen Pleasonton, General Superintendent of Lights |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked good, altered (a few feet added at the top for improved lighting), original site; owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and described as in continuous operation. Later letters describe the adjacent keeper's house as unoccupied since the early 1960s. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 41.53639, -82.71161 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 69000148.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6755249
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.