Range lights are used to guide ships safely down channels and into ports. The lights usually appear in pairs, with the front light shorter and the rear light taller. Spaced at least 1000 feet apart, ships would align themselves with the lights so the front range beacon appeared directly under the rear range beacon. This alignment guaranteed the ship was proceeding correctly down the channel.
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The Manhattan Range Lights were built along the Maumee River in 1918, replacing an older set from 1895. The front light was 40 feet tall. The rear light was 86 feet tall, and featured a 5th Order bull's-eye Fresnel lens. The lights were recently moved inland to different properties, and the rear light shortened in height. They are no longer active beacons, and both are similar in appearance now.
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