LIGHTHOUSE TOLEDO

“LIGHTHOUSE TOLEDO”

Toledo Lighthouse

This one-of-a-kind Toledo Harbor Lighthouse was built on an artificial island in Lake Erie near Toledo Ohio. The construction of the lighthouse began in 1901 when the United States Army Corps of Engineers built the crib in Lake Erie to serve as the base for this lighthouse. The Toledo Harbor Light was built to replace the 1837 lighthouse on Turtle Island. Towering 85 feet (26 m) high, it has a 3-story dwelling and is brick with a steel frame. Described as Romanesque, it is a unique lighthouse style of the Great Lakes.

The light was first illuminated on May 23, 1904, with its ruby red half cylinder glass made in Paris France. In 1965, the light was automated by the US. Coast Guard and powered by solar cells. To deter vandalism, a uniformed mannequin officer was placed in the window and the boat basin removed.

Ronald Suchiu keeps this romantic era alive through his sketches of these lighthouses from around the Windsor and Essex County region. Treat yourself to one or a set of these delights where you can dream of the past to give yourself a break away from today’s fast pace life.