Erie Land Light
Encyclopedia
The Erie Land Light, also known as the Old Presque Isle Light, is a 49 feet (14.9 m) lighthouse
in Erie
, Pennsylvania
. It is one of the three lighthouses in Erie, along with the Presque Isle Light
and the North Pier Light
. The lighthouse is located in Lighthouse Park at the end of Lighthouse Street.
The lighthouse was originally built in 1818, but the tower was replaced twice. The current structure was built in 1867 and was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey
in 1936. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on March 30, 1978.
on the Great Lakes
. The lighthouse was a 20 feet (6.1 m) tall square tower and had started to sink into the ground in 1851. The tower had to be replaced in 1858. The lenses were manufactured by L. Sauter & Son in Paris
, France
and cost $7,000.
The second tower was a 58 feet (17.7 m) tall, conical
tower made from Milwaukee
brick. The second tower's foundation also proved defective and had to be replaced again in 1866. An investigation found that a thin layer of quicksand
was below the foundation of the tower.
The third tower was built from Berea
sandstone
. To prevent the tower from sinking like its predecessors, 20 feet (6.1 m) long oak timbers were sunk into ground with 6 feet (1.8 m) of crushed limestone
and Portland cement
poured over the timbers. A two-story, saltbox
lightkeeper
's house was also built at the same time.
The lighthouse was deactivated in 1880 when it was deemed unnecessary because of the recently constructed Presque Isle Light on Presque Isle
. It was sold for $1,200. The government re-purchased and reactivated the light in 1885 after much public outcry. It was operated until December 26, 1899 when it was deactivated again. The lenses were removed in 1902 and were sent to the Marblehead Light in Ohio
. A roof made from tar paper
was placed over tower after the lantern room was removed. The city of Erie bought the lighthouse in 1934.
A 6300 pounds (2,857.6 kg) copper
replica of the original lantern room was hoisted on to the lighthouse on March 19, 2004. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
provided $400,000 in grants for restoration work including the lantern room, stairs and brickwork. The restoration was completed on June 19, 2004.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is one of the three lighthouses in Erie, along with the Presque Isle Light
Presque Isle Light
The Presque Isle Light is one of the three lighthouses in Erie, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1872 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 4, 1983.- History :...
and the North Pier Light
Erie Harbor North Pier Light
The Erie Harbor North Pier Light, also known as the Presque Isle North Pier Light, is one of the three lighthouses near Erie, Pennsylvania in the United States...
. The lighthouse is located in Lighthouse Park at the end of Lighthouse Street.
The lighthouse was originally built in 1818, but the tower was replaced twice. The current structure was built in 1867 and was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
in 1936. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 30, 1978.
History
The Erie Land Light was originally constructed in 1818 and was the first lighthouse built by the United States GovernmentFederal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. The lighthouse was a 20 feet (6.1 m) tall square tower and had started to sink into the ground in 1851. The tower had to be replaced in 1858. The lenses were manufactured by L. Sauter & Son in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and cost $7,000.
The second tower was a 58 feet (17.7 m) tall, conical
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
tower made from Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
brick. The second tower's foundation also proved defective and had to be replaced again in 1866. An investigation found that a thin layer of quicksand
Quicksand
Quicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular matter , clay, and water.Water circulation underground can focus in an area with the optimal mixture of fine sands and other materials such as clay. The water moves up and then down slowly in a convection-like manner throughout a column...
was below the foundation of the tower.
Berea, Ohio
- History :The first European settlers were originally from Connecticut. Berea fell within Connecticut's Western Reserve and was surveyed and divided into townships and ranges by one Gideon Granger, a gentleman who served as Postmaster General under President Thomas Jefferson...
sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. To prevent the tower from sinking like its predecessors, 20 feet (6.1 m) long oak timbers were sunk into ground with 6 feet (1.8 m) of crushed limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and Portland cement
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...
poured over the timbers. A two-story, saltbox
Saltbox
A saltbox is a building with a long, pitched roof that slopes down to the back, generally a wooden frame house. A saltbox has just one story in the back and two stories in the front...
lightkeeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
's house was also built at the same time.
The lighthouse was deactivated in 1880 when it was deemed unnecessary because of the recently constructed Presque Isle Light on Presque Isle
Presque Isle State Park
Presque Isle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on an arching sandy peninsula that juts into Lake Erie, west of the city of Erie, in Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The peninsula sweeps northeastward, surrounding Presque Isle Bay along the park's...
. It was sold for $1,200. The government re-purchased and reactivated the light in 1885 after much public outcry. It was operated until December 26, 1899 when it was deactivated again. The lenses were removed in 1902 and were sent to the Marblehead Light in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. A roof made from tar paper
Tar paper
Tar paper is a heavy-duty paper used in construction. Tar paper is made by impregnating paper with tar, producing a waterproof material useful for roof construction. It can be distinguished from Roofing felt:Asphalt-saturated felt. Roofing felt has been in use for over a hundred years...
was placed over tower after the lantern room was removed. The city of Erie bought the lighthouse in 1934.
Modern use and restoration
A wooden replica of the lantern room was placed on the tower in 1990 and was relit on December 26, 1999. The replica lantern room was eventually blown off of the tower on May 5, 2003 during a windstorm.A 6300 pounds (2,857.6 kg) copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
replica of the original lantern room was hoisted on to the lighthouse on March 19, 2004. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage...
provided $400,000 in grants for restoration work including the lantern room, stairs and brickwork. The restoration was completed on June 19, 2004.
See also
- Lighthouses in the United StatesLighthouses in the United StatesThis is a list of lighthouses in the United States. The United States has had approximately a thousand lights as well as light towers, range lights, and pier head lights...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, PennsylvaniaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, PennsylvaniaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, Pennsylvania.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States...