Bound together by affection for the historic sentinel and an emerging sense of obligation to preserve the maritime heritage of the lakes, they convinced the government to grant the town a probationary lease on the lighthouse for five years. No wrecking ball was necessary. When the Fairport Marine Museum officially opened its doors in 1946, it held the distinction of being the first marine museum in Ohio and the first lighthouse museum in the Great Lakes. We started the trend of converting old lighthouses into museums. It was especially demanding work if the weather was bad.
Curators are really just caretakers.
Thousands of visitors tour the lighthouse and museum each summer, and in the off-season school children and special interest groups arrange for special tours. The size of our lighthouse and the maritime relics on display say a lot about the lake's importance and the dangers here. I used to tell people to stop by in January if they didn't believe the weather could get serious on the lake. In its active years, it was a crucial link in a string of beacons that guided shipping in and out of the upper lakes. Originally called Grand River Light, the beacon owes its existence to a sheltered lake-harbor that feeds into the Grand River.