A look back at the

Marblehead Lighthouse

200th Celebration

The Marblehead Lighthouse celebrated its 200th Anniversary of the construction and lighting of the lighthouse in 2022.

The building of the lighthouse was completed in November 10, 1821 and was first officially lit on June 22, 1822.

The Marblehead Lighthouse will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2022, and ready to welcome visitors at the edge of the Village of Marblehead is a mural created by artist Rose Lucas Haninger of Marblehead, a member of the Marblehead Lighthouse Bicentennial Committee. (Photo by D’Arcy Patrick Egan)

Originally published in the Beacon Oct. 27, 2021

Painting of the Mural at Radar Park

BY D’ARCY PATRICK EGAN

From thousands of visitors to even crowds of avid anglers, the Marblehead Lighthouse is a must-see icon on the Lake Erie shoreline in the Village of Marblehead. The most photographed tourist attraction in Ohio, according to the Ohio Tourism Association, this coming year will even more special.

“The Marblehead Lighthouse will be celebrating it’s 200th anniversary, and we are trying to plan lots of events to celebrate when the light was first lit in 1822 to warn sailors,” said artist and local entrepreneur Rose Lucas Haninger. “I wanted to get things started with a mural of the Marblehead Lighthouse on the Radar Park building that is visible as you come into the village, reminding visitors of our big year is coming soon.”

Lucas Haninger and the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society took their idea to Mayor Jackie Bird and the village council. The city fathers decided to not only allow the mural, council also voted to provide the paint.

Now used for storage by the village, the Radar Park building was originally part of the Nike air defense system in the 1950s. In just a couple of weeks, said Lucas Haninger, who owns The Painted Rose Gallery and Madame Rosie’s Boutique on Main Street. She completed the mural with a little help from her friends.

The Marblehead Lighthouse usually has one major event each year, the 25th annual Marblehead Lighthouse Festival in Marblehead State Park held Oct. 9, with fun and games in the Lakeside Chautauqua resort and the Wolcott’s Keepers House just down the road from the lighthouse, where light keeper Benajah Wolcott lived.

“We’re looking to have lots of fun events all year long in Marblehead in 2022,” said Lucas Haninger. For updates on the Marblehead Lighthouse happenings coming up, visit www.marbleheadlighthouseohio.org

After a year off due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s Marblehead Lighthouse Festival drew large crowds to the Marblehead Peninsula and Lakeside. It also marked the return of schools of yellow perch to their traditional fall haunts, which lured dozens of fishing boats to the Lake Erie waters around the lighthouse, which borders both Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay.

The Marblehead Lighthouse was completed in 1821, but the light was not lit until 1822. That puts next year’s yearlong celebration in 2022 right on track for the entire Marblehead Peninsula.

Past Events

Rededication of the Lighthouse

The Rededication of the Marblehead Lighthouse was held at First United Church of Christ 802 Prairie Street, Marblehead on Sunday November 21, 2021 at 10:30 AM.

This event kicked-off the year-long bicentennial celebration of the lighthouse in 2022. The structure was completed on November 10, 1821 and was officially in service on June 22, 1822.

Postmark America

Thank you to Dave Gill and David Peltier for their hard work! This is exciting news!

Did you know that the Lakeside Marblehead Post Office is participating in the Postmark America program ? The Postmark America program is designed to feature graphics related to a theme or image that pertains to a specific tourist location, town or region.

Local residents Dave Gill and David Peltier collaborated to create and design the Post Mark celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Marblehead Lighthouse. Approval was granted by the Pictorial Postmark Program Manager through the United States Postal Service on November 10, 2021. The post mark is available any day the post office is open. All requests must bear at least minimum First-Class Mail.

Please note: The postmark is applied UPON REQUEST to both outgoing mail and on hand-back philatelic collectibles

Sip and Paint Night at Rocky Point Winery

January 20, 2022

A huge thank you to Jane Letterhos, Lea Mark and Rocky Point Winery (Chris Redfern) for a great night. This event helped to continue the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Marblehead Lighthouse.A lot of activities are planned for the summer, but something special was needed for the winter.

The Sip and Paint party at the Rocky Point Winery was a great way for people to have some fun, have some wine, and paint the Marblehead Lighthouse. We are so pleased that the event sold out.

As the year continues, we will continue to work with local groups to have unique celebrations for our special landmark. We have a number of art related events this year - this being the first. Lea and Jane will be hosting five separate art classes at the lighthouse this summer for a variety of age groups. In addition, the local Plein Air Painting group with Rick Dziak will also be painting at the lighthouse this summer. Stop by to see the artists in action.

Legacy on the Lake: Celebrating 200 years of the Marblehead

May 21, 2022
Ohio Department of Natural Resources had a kick-off event to celebrate the 200th birthday of one of the state’s most photographed and iconic landmarks, the Marblehead Lighthouse. The family-friendly birthday party included free tours of the lighthouse, outdoor entertainment, food trucks, birthday cake and fun for the whole family!