South Bass Island Light
| South Bass Island Light | |
|---|---|
 South Bass Island Light (USCG) |
|
| Location: | South Bass Island in Lake Erie |
| Installation: | 1897 |
| Deactivated: | 1962 |
| Foundation: | Brick |
| Construction: | Brick |
| Tower shape: | two-story building with a square three-story corner tower |
| Height: | 20 m |
| Original lens: | Fresnel lens |
| Range: | 24 km |
| Beacon: | continuous red light |
South Bass Island Light is a former lighthouse at the southern end of the island of the same name in Lake Erie . It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 5, 1990 and is believed to be the only lighthouse in the United States owned by a university, Ohio State University .
history
An increase in the number of travelers at the end of the 19th century caused the responsible authorities to approve the construction of a lighthouse on the island in 1893. The light signal was used to mark the passage between Sandusky and Toledo , along with other beacons in the area. Parker Point was chosen as the location at the southwestern end of the island. In 1895 an 8000 m² plot of land was purchased. The construction of the lighthouse was delayed because the original contractor had difficulties with the construction. Thus, the beacon was not put into operation until 1897. The building is atypical for the time of construction, a two-and-a-half-story brick building in Queen Anne style , with a three-story tower on one corner. This was equipped with a Fresnel lens , the light of which was originally fired by oil, but which was later converted to electricity.
The tenure of first lighthouse keeper Harry Riley and that of his assistant Sam Anderson was short. In August 1898, an outbreak of smallpox was detected on the island with mild cases and no deaths. Even so, a newspaper reported on September 1 that Anderson, who had only been hired a month earlier, started drinking for fear of the plague and was hiding in the basement of the lighthouse, where he kept a line of snakes. He eventually left the tower and threw himself into the lake shouting, "God save them all." His body was found the next day. The same day the report came out, Riley was picked up in Sandusky by the police, apparently having gone mad. He was admitted to the state mental hospital and died the following March. In 1925, lighthouse keeper Charles B. Duggan tragically died in a fall from a cliff on the western side of the island.
In 1962 the beacon was switched off and replaced with a steel tower that was erected right next to the old building. The old optics were moved to the Lake Erie Island Historical Museum , where they are still on display today. Five years later, the facility was completely retired. Ohio State University, which operates the Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island in nearby Put-in-Bay , saw an opportunity to expand the facility and negotiated a thirty-year charter. When this expired in 1997, the university took over the original lighthouse for good. In 1983, NOAA put an automatic weather station into operation at the lighthouse . The lighthouse is used to accommodate scientists and university employees and has also been open for tours since summer 2007. The structure, the exterior of which is largely unchanged, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Individual evidence
- ↑ National Register Information System ( English ) In: National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
- ↑ Dave Wobser: South Bass Iceland Light: A lighthouse with a distinction ( English ) Retrieved on 17 October of 2008.
- ↑ a b c d South Bass Island Lighthouse ( English ) lighthousefriends.com. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
- ^ A b Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Ohio Lighthouses: South Bass Island Light ( English ) National Park Service . Retrieved November 4, 2008.
- ^ South Bass Island Lighthouse: Ghost Stories ( English ) Ohio State University. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
- ↑ Historic Light Station Information & Photography: Ohio ( English ) United States Coast Guard . Retrieved November 4, 2008.
- ^ South Bass Island Lighthouse ( English ) Ohio State University . Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
Coordinates: 41 ° 37 ′ 46 " N , 82 ° 50 ′ 30" W.