The 1st lighthouse at Port Clinton was built in 1833 as a 40 foot high split-stone tower. The base was 22 ft. in diameter, tapering to 10.5 ft. at the top. The light included a modest keeper's residence, and featured a 6th order Fresnel lens, added in 1855. The light was decommissioned in 1870, and eventually demolished sometime in the early 1900s. The keeper's residence was sold to a local physician in 1927. To replace the original lighthouse, a new smaller light was built at the end of the west pier (breakwater), along the mouth of the Portage River in 1874.
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The new light was built as a 2 story, 12 foot square wood-frame structure. The beacon consisted of a 180-degree, curved clear glass lens. The center of the light was 26-feet above Lake Erie, while a single kerosene lantern with a ruby chimney provided a steady red beam visible for six miles. In 1964, the upper section of the light was relocated upstream to the B-pier of D.B. Jeremy's & Sons Marina, who were contracted to perform the removal and relocation. Brand's Marina now owns the marina and lighthouse, and has kept it in good shape.
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