A harbor is a niche on a coast where boats can find shelter and protection from rough waters. A light serves as a beacon to guide sailors in and out of a safe harbor.  Lake Erie’s harbor lights have been standing as symbols of safety, hope, and security for centuries.

As a photographer, I am drawn to these lighthouses.  I love the romantic aura surrounding them and marvel at their castle-like appearance.  Crashing waves make them even more exciting.  Ohio has no shortage of lighthouses along its 312 miles of shoreline stretching from Toledo to Conneaut.  Scattered across these shores are at least eighteen lighthouses plus another five on the islands of Lake Erie.

Some are lean and tall.  Others have attached living quarters and are squat and short.  A few are just towers with flashing lights attached or metal contraptions with lights.  They are all photogenic.  This is a black-and-white collection of lighthouses from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut, Ohio.

The number of operational lighthouses continues to decline due to the expense of maintenance and the advent of less expensive, and more effective electronic navigational systems.  Several along Ohio’s Erie shores are now privately owned. Although they are gradually outliving their usefulness, they are still epic monuments to human ingenuity and resilience.  Plus, they create great photographic images.