Lighthouses are often built in very remote places because of their mission to guide mariners and provide a safe harbor to anyone on the water needing navigation assistance. Many lighthouses were built specifically in locations that were prone to challenging weather, hubs of significant commercial maritime transportation, or had a history of shipwrecks. Most lighthouses were/are known only by their name or a designated mapping location.
When I purchased Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse, the US Coast Guard referred to it by name or its designated mapping location – in this case: Latitude: N 41° 46.07’ Longitude: W 081° 16.87’. That was fine with me. Why did I need a street address anyway? I wasn’t planning to get mail or packages delivered. However, Lake County, Ohio disagreed with me and insisted that I needed a street address. I later found out that they needed the parcel number to align with a street address to properly assess my taxes.
Like many things about the lighthouse, converting a building that had been owned by the federal government for over 80 years to private ownership and specifically a residence, was not easy – for me or the local authorities. In order to determine a street address for the lighthouse, various Lake County offices convened a meeting to discuss the situation. As the owner, I was asked to attend the meeting.
Everyone in attendance at that meeting was very kind and inquisitive, asking the usual questions about why I wanted to buy a lighthouse. Once the meeting was called to order, discussions began in earnest. You’d think (again – it had been there for over 80 years) it would be easy to assign a lighthouse adjacent to a state park a street address. But no.
Access to the lighthouse via land is only available by parking at and walking through Mentor Headlands State Park, which is owned by the State of Ohio. The park’s address is in the city of Mentor -- 9601 Headlands Road.
So was the lighthouse located in Mentor? But by its very name – Fairport Harbor West – should the lighthouse be located in the town of Fairport Harbor?
To stir the pot even more, someone suggested that perhaps it was located in the town of Grand River, which is situated just south and a bit to the east of Mentor Headlands State Park. A lively discussion ensued with many advocating for their personal favorite.
Besides Mentor Headlands State Park, the only thing within a stone’s throw of the lighthouse is the US Coast Guard Station Fairport. The station can be seen from the lighthouse and is strategically positioned at the mouth of the Grand River where it meets Lake Erie. Road access to the Coast Guard Station is via a narrow dirt road, off Rt. 44N, and is very hard to find. Fittingly, the road to the Coast Guard station is named Coast Guard Road. That road and the station itself are located in Painesville Township. The conversation about towns, jurisdictions, roads, locations and ultimately the lighthouse’s street address continued until it was clear attendees were at an impasse and getting tired.
After a brief break, the Zoning Inspector, Richard Constantine, took another look at the various maps strewn out on the large conference table and declared, “The Coast Guard Station’s street address is number 2 Coast Guard Road in Painesville Township. So, let’s just make you [the lighthouse] number 1 Coast Guard Road in Painesville Township.”
And so it was.
As no one had a better suggestion and the meeting was dragging on, others began to agree. It made sense. Why there was never a number 1 Coast Guard Road previously wasn’t clear, nor why the Coast Guard Station was designated number 2 Coast Guard Road. No one seemed to know – or at that point care. So Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse was officially declared by Lake County, Ohio as plot #11-B-067-0-00-001-A located at 1 Coast Guard Road, Painesville Township, Ohio. I have the certificate to prove it.
And, no, do not send mail or packages there.
