2022: A Year of Celebration by Lorrie Halblaub
The 200th birthday of the Marblehead Lighthouse this year was a huge success.
The Bicentennial Committee planned a variety of events. It started with a rededication of the construction of the light tower in November 2021 at First UCC in Marblehead. Then in the spring of 2022, every student and teacher at Danbury Local Schools was invited to tour the lighthouse and grounds on days when it was open just for them. Prior to their visit, a power point presentation on the history of the light prepared them for what they would see. Each student received a booklet about the light, donated by the Friends of the Marblehead Peninsula Branch Library.
Summer brought a grand birthday party for the lighthouse in June with cake and ice cream, then exciting birthday party for the Coast Guard in August with demonstrations by the Coast Guard boats and flyovers of classic planes.
Special programs featured speakers and activities about: geology, astronomy, Lake Erie wildlife, marine ecology, mayflies, and more. The history of the lighthouse and its keepers was passed on through children’s stories, lectures, and a visit from James Proffitt, the author of the book Marblehead Lighthouse on Lake Erie. There were lessons in arts and crafts, plein air painters, and visitors enjoyed SEVEN free music concerts with food trucks and refreshments.
Over a million people visited the Marblehead Lighthouse State Park last summer. They walked up the 77 steps to the lighthouse tower deck and enjoyed the view. They toured a replica of the 1876 lifesaving station that was the forerunner of the Marblehead Coast Guard station. In the 1880 Keepers house, they shopped at the gift store, viewed art, and enjoyed the displays of local history in the museum rooms.
All summer the celebration spilled over onto the whole peninsula. There were banners along Main Street and Lafarge Quarry hung a huge banner across it. The lightkeepers visited the Village of Marblehead in the form of silhouettes, while the merchants held themed contests and special sales events. The Keeper’s House on Bayshore Road, home of the first lightkeeper, Benajah Wolcott, also turned 200 this year and hosted many events.
The season ended with the annual Lighthouse Festival that was held on a beautiful fall day in October in Lakeside and Marblehead. Special thanks to everyone who donated time, talent and money to make this whole celebration happen.
Now, in December, the lighthouse grounds are quiet. The sounds of people and music are gone. Only the sound of the wind and waves remain. If you come to visit, for the park is open every day of the year, the lighthouse stands dressed in her Christmas finery, tall and proud, waiting to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
