Captain John's Custom Photos & Framing

Ohio Lighthouses - South Bass Island Light, Put-in-Bay Ohio


Click on a picture to view an enlarged image of the South Bass Island Lighthouse


Watercolor Print
#sboh001
Color Photograph
#sboh002

Tony's Place - Put-in-Bay

During the late 1800’s, problems associated with increased boat traffic in and around South Bass Island were brought to the attention of the U.S. Lighthouse Board. On February 15, 1893, the Board approved construction of a lighthouse and appropriated $8,000 for the project.

The South Bass Island lighthouse was constructed under the direction of the U.S. Engineering Department in 1897. The 60-foot tower was fitted with a fourth order Frensel lens. The light was first lit on July 10, 1897. The lighthouse, which contained no fog signal, operated daily from early March through late December.

In contrast to the typical lighthouse of the day, characterized by a huge tower and small detached keepers quarters, the South Bass Island Lighthouse contained two and one half stories of living space, a full basement, and an attached tower. In 1962, the U.S. Coast Guard constructed a steel skeleton tower for a functioning lighthouse, and sold the original lighthouse to Ohio State University. The grounds now function as a research facility, and are not open to the public.


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