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Marblehead in Ottawa County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

The Keeper's House

Ohio Historical Marker

 
 
The Keeper's House Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, May 9, 2009
1. The Keeper's House Marker
Inscription.
Built in 1822, this native limestone structure was the home of Benajah Wolcott, first keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse (originally called the Sandusky Bay Light), and his second wife, Rachel Miller Wolcott. Benajah maintained the lighthouse from 1822 until his death ten years later. After Benajah's passing the U.S. Government appointed Rachel as the keeper, making her the first female lighthouse keeper on the Great Lakes. The building is the oldest known residence still standing in Ottawa County and is a fine example of a "hall-and-parlor house," an early American home design.
 
Erected 1999 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Ottawa County Historical Society, and the Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 6-62.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable BuildingsWaterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1822.
 
Location. 41° 30.873′ N, 82° 44.521′ W. Marker is in Marblehead, Ohio, in Ottawa County. Marker is at the intersection of East Bay Shore Road and Tecumseh Road, on the left when traveling east on East Bay Shore
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Road. This historical marker is located on the south side of the Marblehead peninsula, on the north side of the Sandusky Bay shores, and directly north of Johnson Island. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lakeside Marblehead OH 43440, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Home of Benajah Walcott (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named The Keeper’s House (within shouting distance of this marker); First Battle Site (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); In Memory of Mason, Simonds & Mingus (about 600 feet away); Johnson's Island (approx. 0.4 miles away); Johnson's Island Prison (approx. 1.1 miles away); Johnson's Island Civil War Prison and Fort Site (approx. 1.1 miles away); Confederate Stockade Cemetery (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Marblehead.
 
More about this marker. This marker was the original home of the keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse which is 2.5 miles east on East Bay Shore Road.
 
Regarding The Keeper's House. The Keeper's House has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and it is currently maintained by the Ottawa County Historical Society which opens both the Keeper's House and a nearby annex with literature, information, and gifts being made available to the public.
The Keeper's House Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 5, 2015
2. The Keeper's House Marker

 
Also see . . .
1. Marblehead Lighthouse. Lighthouse Friends website entry:
Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest, continuously operational lighthouse on the Great Lakes. It has been featured on a U.S. postage stamp, has appeared on the license plates of Ohio's drivers, and was recently added to the Ohio State Parks system. Found on the northernmost tip of the Marblehead Peninsula, this popular lighthouse's history began in 1819 when the fifteenth U.S. Congress decided that the area was too dangerous to be navigated without some sort of beacon. The sum of $5,000 was allocated for the construction of a light tower at the entrance to Sandusky Bay at Bay Point, Ohio, hoping that the lighthouse would help vessels travel safely through Lake Erie’s nor’easters and the clusters of small islands on the southernmost coast of the lake. (Submitted on May 18, 2009.) 

2. Wolcott Cemetery. Find A Grave website entry:
This cemetery is located approximately ˝ mile south of Wolcott’s Keepers Home, and is the burial site of Benajah Wolcott (Submitted on May 18, 2009.) 

3. Marblehead Lighthouse. Ohio State Parks website entry (Submitted on May 18, 2009.) 

4. Wolcott’s House. Touring Ohio website entry (Submitted on May 20, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.) 

5. Marblehead Lighthouse. Touring Ohio website entry (Submitted on May 20, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.) 
 
The Keeper's House and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 5, 2015
3. The Keeper's House and Marker
The Keeper's House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, May 9, 2009
4. The Keeper's House
Marblehead Lighthouse image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, May 9, 2009
5. Marblehead Lighthouse
View of the Marblehead Lighthouse that was maintained by Benajah Wolcott while living in the Keeper's House.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,179 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos:   1. submitted on May 14, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.   2, 3. submitted on August 5, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.   4, 5. submitted on May 14, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024