Fairport Harbor lighthouse celebrates 100 years with open house (photos) - Cleveland.com
FAIRPORT HARBOR, Ohio -- Sheila Consaul probably has the best century home in Northeast Ohio.
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, she lives in the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse, where the Grand River meets Lake Erie. Her summer home, at the far east of Headlands Beach State Park, turns 100 years old on Monday, June 9.
To celebrate, she’s opening her home to visitors from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 7.
Consaul, who bought the lighthouse in 2011, has spent much of the last 14 years renovating the interior as living quarters. Visitors to the open house will see what she’s done to preserve the structure while creating a peaceful, three-bedroom, three-bathroom living space.
The breakwater lighthouse, which has a square footprint and housed keepers and the light, replaced the now 200-year-old lighthouse and keeper’s house to the east in the village of Fairport Harbor.
Two deer hide in tall grass not far from the Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse. It's a half-mile trek from the parking lot to the lighthouse.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Visitors should be forewarned: The walk along the breakwall to the lighthouse takes about 20 minutes from the Headlands Beach parking lot through shifting sands and occasional swarms of in-season midges. (Know that midges don’t bite, they’re just annoying.)
Once you arrive at the base, be prepared to wait. Last year’s crowd reached 700, with about 10 allowed into the lighthouse-home at a time. Entertainment, food trucks and vendors will be in parking lot P1.
A photographic book of the Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse celebrates the 100-year anniversary. It will be available at the open house for $30. The cover photo is by photographer Brenda Traffis.John Kuntz, cleveland.com