At Fairport Harbor West, we don’t really call it Spring or Summer, but rather “Lighthouse Season.” That’s when the weather warms up enough to make the trek across Mentor Headlands Beach, up the break wall and into the lighthouse. It usually begins with opening the lighthouse from its long winter’s nap, which includes removing and storing the interior storm windows, cleaning and re-installing the screens in the upper level windows and generally checking the place for whatever Old Man Winter may have left behind. Fortunately, 2015 saw little damage, attesting to the lighthouse’s incredibly solid construction and a few patches we made to the roof in 2012.
At the beginning of each Lighthouse Season, I take the opportunity to reflect on how much renovation has taken place since I first purchased the lighthouse in 2011. Fortunately, the list of “Completed” is now longer than the list of “To Do,” which is a great feeling. And I laugh when people ask me when the lighthouse renovations will be “Done,” because – like any 90 year old home – there will always be things that need attention.
Yes, it has been an upward climb to get to the point where more has been accomplished than is left. Structurally, the lighthouse continues to amaze me in how solid and strong it was built. With the new windows installed upstairs, water no longer “rains” in nor soaks the plywood trying to keep it out. In fact, nothing is nicer than opening a window upstairs, watching the passing ships, and enjoying the breeze wafting through.
The hardwood floors on the upper level, which were sanded, repaired and beautifully restored, sport a yummy chocolate finish with a unique wood inlay of a nautical compass pointing due north. The wood floors support the beds, armoires and furniture of two bedrooms and a work/napping area in the second floor landing.
The walls, which were once crumbling plaster, now have pictures hung and, I’m sure, even more stories to tell. And if not, the exposed brick on the main and second levels provide a rustic, homey, down-to-earth feel, while providing a peek into how the massive walls were made.
The new kitchen complements the age and industrial design of the lighthouse and if you open the cupboards, you’ll find dishes, glasses, pots and pans and utensils ready to use to cook and eat. Even the laundry room is organized with bright red metal shelves holding beach towels, clothespins and other supplies. If you head down to the basement, you’ll find the bunk beds are made and the wine cellar is ready to be stocked.
It certainly has been an upward climb with challenges and set-backs along the way, but you can’t get to the other side of a mountain without climbing up first. If you’d like to see how far it has come, mark your calendar for the Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse’s 90th Birthday Open House scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 2015 from 12:00 to 4:00 pm and try your luck at climbing the lighthouse.
