Lighthouses of The Great Lakes

There is something about lighthouses that I love.    Perhaps it is that they are strong and confident in the midst of a storm.  Perhaps it is that they romantic and alluring even though they stand alone.

Or, maybe it is that a glimpse of these sturdy structures sends my imagination running with images of the history they hold and lives they have held.  No matter why I love them, here are a few of my favorite images of  Great Lakes Lighthouses.

Lorain Lighthouse, Lake Erie – Protecting the shores of Lorain, Ohio 1916-1965, currently under renovation.

The Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse at the mouth of the Genesee River, near shoreline of  Lake Ontario, Village of Charlotte, (Rochester) New York.  Located on the site of a battle of the War of 1812, the light was activated in 1822 and the Keeper’s House was constructed in 1863. (map)The Fairport Harbor Marine Lighthouse shown from 1825-1925 on the shores of Lake Erie in Fairport Harbor, Ohio.  (map)

The Old Mission Point Lighthouse, Old Mission, Michigan is located on the tip of the peninsula that separates the East and the West portions of Grand Traverse Bay.  The lighthouse was operational from 1870 – 1933.  (map)With renovations completed in 2007, the North Point Lighthouse sits on the East side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Commissioned in 1855 to protect ships that traveled on Lake Michigan, this lighthouse operated for 120 years until it was decommissioned in 1994.

Photo Selections: flickr – Lorain Lighthouse, Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, Fairport Harbor Marine Lighthouse, Old Mission Lighthouse,  North Point Lighthouse