Ohio Lights - Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse

The West Breakwater Lighthouse. 10/8/2025 dwm

As we walked around the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse on the hill overlooking Lake Erie, I could see the West Breakwater lighthouse in the distance. (photo at right)

Closer to where I stood was a parking lot on the lake shore where I could get some additional pictures (photo below). 

I expected it would be fairly easy to find our way out to the breakwater, but I was wrong.

The Lake Erie shore isn't a straight line and the first couple of turns I tried based 'dead reckoning,' didn't get us close.

The lighthouse at the tip of the breakwater. 10/8/25 dwm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Path to the lighthouse. 10/8/25 dwm

 After stopping for directions, I was told to go to the Headland Dunes State Nature Preserve. It took several miles to reach highway 2, which took us to highway 44, and that delivered us to the Headland Dunes State Park which borders the preserve.

 

 After finding a place to park I saw a sign for the preserve, not knowing how if I could get out to the West Breakwater Lighthouse. Just a few feet later, I realized this walk would be more productive than the one to the Ashtabula lighthouse.

 

 

A long distance view of the lighthouse. 10/8/2025 dwm

A boardwalk took me out toward Lake Erie. There was a line of trees blocking my view of the house until I cleared the final tree, when it came into view (photo right).

 

After taking some pictures, I walked toward the tree line until I could walk up to the lighthouse. There was a map at the trail head indicating the trail would end with a fence separating me from the house, but it wasn't clear where I would find the fence.

 

The dune/wetland was a relatively easy walk but the sand was soft which made it a slow trip.

 

The trail reached the tree line. 10/8/25 dwm

 The sand took me straight toward the trees and when I got there (photo left), there was a path stretching from my right to my left. I was still a fair distance from reaching the lighthouse.

 

 It was a slow walk, but for the first time, I met another hiker heading my direction. I didn't know where I'd have to stop, but each step took me closer.

 

 When I left my wife in the car, she was reading a book, I didn't know how long the walk would take so I promised to text her when I turned around.

 

The West Breakwater lighthouse! 10/8/25 dwm 

Walking along the trees, I could see the protected harbor on my right while the dark blue water of Lake Erie pounded the shore on my left.

 

There still wasn't a fence when the tree line was reduced to shrubs and young trees growing between the rocks of the breakwater. 

 

A few steps later there was a fence. It  surrounded the large lighthouse and the concrete base on which it stood. 

 

Congress approved building a lighthouse where I stood in 1917 but because of World War I, the project was delayed. Plans weren't ready until 1919; the concrete foundation was poured a year later.

 

This building was built in Buffalo, NY. 10/8/25 

 Lighthouse Friends quotes a 1921 edition of the Lighthouse Service Bulletin, "The shell of the building. composed of steel studding... was fabricated, erected, riveted, bolted permanently together at the Buffalo Lighthouse Depot."

 

 It was empty inside, making it a box that was 28-feet square, two stories and an attic high, with a tower rising 38-1/2 feet high in one corner, weighing 65 tons.

 

 It was moved on to freight steamer and shipped 147 miles to Fairport Harbor, Ohio where it was placed on a larger boat then finally onto its concrete foundation.

This view is worth the walk. 10/8/2025 dwm

An automated light still shines from the West Breakwater Lighthousebtoday but it hasn't had light keepers since 1948.

As with many other lighthouses, this one was deemed excess and offered for sale.  After several dead-ends, the last information I found indicates the light still works but the house is privately owned. 

 

After several minutes taking in the view and capturing images, I started the walk back and was treated with the view of the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse from the end of the Breakwater. The two Fairport Harbor lights are my favorites from this trip.

 

Fairport Harbor lighthouse on far shore with grass hill. 10/8/2025 dwm 

A closer look from the West Breakwater. 10/8/2025 dwm

A look back at the lighthouse from the shoreline. 10/8/2025 dwm