Presque Isle Light
Introduction
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"The Loneliest Place on Earth" is how Charles Waldo, the first keeper of Presque Isle Light, described his seven-year tenure of the lighthouse with his family (1873-1880). The Presque Isle Light is one of three lighthouses on Lake Erie in Pennsylvania, built in 1873. Over the years it saw many renovations and modernization. The lighthouse is part of modern-day Lake Erie State Park. Currently, the U.S. Coast Guard operates the lighthouse.
Images
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
*The lighthouse is a private resident. Do Not Enter
Presque Isle's construction began in 1872, and the light was first lit on July 12, 1873. It was originally 40 feet tall before the tower was raised to its current height in 1896. Its original light characteristic, two red flashes followed by four white flashes, was changed to an alternating red and white flash when it was electrified in the 1920s. The Presque Isle Light was commonly known as the "flashlight" to locals. In 1962, the station was fully automated and the characteristic was changed to a 3 second-on, 3 second-off white light.
The Presque Isle Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 4, 1983 as part of a group listing of lighthouses and light stations operated by the United States Coast Guard on the Great Lakes.