Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Lighthouse of the Week, February 8-14, 2026: Perry's Victor and International Peace Memorial, Ohio, USA

 

OK, I've been there.  I've been to the top of it.  I've even been directly over it in an airplane (headed to Milwaukee, I think), and knew what it was.

I didn't know it was a lighthouse!  But in fact, it is the tallest "aid to navigation" in the United States, probably (though I didn't check) one of the tallest in the world.

It's not primarily a lighthouse, it is, as the name indicates, a monument to a naval battle in the War of 1812, the Battle of Lake Erie. This was the battle won by Captain Oliver Hazard Perry, which after he won it he communicated "We have met the enemy and they are ours."  Thus, on the island near where that battle was fought, there is the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. (And a bit ironic, as you'll see.)

To further help out, this is where that is.

And this is what the Lighthouse Directory says about it:

"1915. Active; focal plane 335 ft (102 m); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 352 ft (107 m) round granite tower topped by a bronze urn. Floodlit at night. ... This is the tallest aid to navigation in the U.S., 75% taller than Cape Hatteras Light. The tower commemorates the 1813 naval victory of a U.S. fleet led by Oliver [Hazard] Perry over a British fleet; it also recognizes the peace that has prevailed between the U.S. and Canada since 1815. An elevator carries visitors to an observation deck 317 ft (96.5 m) above the lake. A new visitor center opened in May 2002. The tower was closed for repairs and restoration during 2012. Located on the northeastern portion of South Bass Island, which is accessible by ferries from Catawba Island and Port Clinton."

(What I underlined is the ironic part, given the uneasiness between Canada and the U.S. due to the current Imbecile-in-Chief.)

So of course I will have pictures and a video.








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