Toledo Harbor Lighthouse
Preservation Society


    The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation SocietyTHLPS) is an all volunteer nonprofit organization that seeks to preserve, restore and provide public outreach and access to the lighthouse.  The organization has gown in five short years to over 300 members and now owns the lighthouse and leases the original lens to the lighthouse.  THLPS is proud of our accomplishments and our members.  Meetings are open to all.

    The original light at the Toledo Lighthouse, a 3 1/2 order Fresnel Lens made by Barbier and Bernard, is located at the lodge at Maumee Bay State Park and can be seen anytime. The lens has two bulls eyes and one clam shell.  The prisms and glass with light made the light visible up to sixteen miles.  It is one of three lights of its kind.  The Toledo Lighthouse is one of a kind - very unique architecturally .  The Toledo Lighthouse Society  welcomes the lens moving closer to home.
  
    The Toledo Lighthouse Society is the recipient of two grants that will pave the way for  lighthouse restoration.  In addition, in 2007 the Toledo Lighthouse Society won the Excellence Preservation Award from the Landmark's Preservation Council. 

    The Secretary of the Department of Interior approved the application for the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society (THLPS) to own the lighthouse.  On April 25, 2007, THLPS received the the deed and keys to the lighthouse.  We are all grateful to those that helped with this lengthy process.

    Ohio D.N.R. through the Coastal Zone Management Program, provided a two year $48,000 grant for plans and specification for the lighthouse restoration project.  Plans and specs will be done by Duket Porter.  The Ohio Lake Erie Protection Fund just awarded the Toledo Lighthouse Society $14,900 for this project also.  The total cost of the project is $102,000.  Additional grants will be sought for this project that is starting now.  Memberships and festival funds will also be used to pay for this work. 

    A ramp, dock and lift received some funding from the Lake Erie Protection fund, the Toledo Lighthouse Society provided the rest.    

    You can view the Toledo Lighthouse from the shores of Maumee Bay State Park through a viewer located on the walkway in front Of  the lodge near the marina.

    We hope that you will consider joining the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society,   Our major annual event is the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Festival featuring boat rides around the lighthouse, island music, nautical arts and crafts, fireworks, food, children's activities and a silent auction.  There is also a Christmas Gathering  Thursday, December 4th.

The Toledo Lighthouse Festival is July 11 and 12, 2009.   




Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society
TOLEDO LIGHTHOUSE FRESNEL LENS
MAUMEE BAY STATE PARK LODGE

The Fresnel Lens was moved to Maumee Bay State Park Lodge May 13, 2008 and is located in the main lobby.
Jim Woodward moved the lens from the lighthouse in 1995 and moved it again from COSI in 2008.
The lens was enclosed in glass on July 2nd, 2008.  The glass sits on a wood base for support.  Enclosing the lens was a requirement of the Coast Guard.  A lid is being added to protect the glass and to keep out the dust.

Welcome ..The next meeting of the Toledo Lighthouse Society is Thursday, July 2nd at 7 pm at the lodge  at  Maumee Bay State Park.   
TOLEDO LIGHTHOUSE
WATERFRONT FESTIVAL
JULY 11 & 12
Maumee Bay State Park
Free Admission Free Parking
The waterfront festival features Nautical Arts & Crafts, Boat Rides, Fireworks, Steel Drums, Beachboys Music, Great Lakes singer Lee Murdock and more island music.  There will be a clam chowder contest, a lighthouse photo contest, International Magician Champion, Airborn Bouncers for kids.  Food includes perch, brats, kettle corn, funnel cakes and ice cream

For information on the festival:Click for:  Festival Flier for Arts and Crafts application for Photo Contest Application for Silent Auction for Sponsor. for entering the Sand Castle Contest


TOLEDO LIGHTHOUSE......................
The Toledo Lighthouse sits on a crib about five miles north off shore from
Maumee Bay State Park.  The lighthouse marks the Toledo shipping channel where the waters of Lake Erie meet the shallow waters of Maumee Bay.  The Romanesque lighthouse was completed May 23, 1904 and is architecturally unique with buff brick and a rolled edge steel roof.  The lighthouse is 4000 sq. ft. and stands 64' high.  The boulders were added to three sides of the base in 1989 when the lighthouse was secured by the Army Corps of Engineers.
You can see the lighthouse from shore through a viewer located on the walkway along the lake steps on the lakeside of the lodge.
The lighthouse dock and ramp disappeared sometime between April 9th and 11th.  The ramp was found in late June and has been retrieved.  The dock is still missing. 
Click here to add text.
BOAT RIDE ECO TOUR AROUND THE LIGHTHOUSE
Take a ride aboard the Voyager, a former Cedar Point Boat. See where Toledo draws their drinking water, West Sister Island, Little Cedar Point and more.  Tickets go on sale at 9 am on Saturday and are on a first come first serve basis for the 4 trips offered every 2.5 hours on Saturday and 3 trips on Sunday beginning at 10 am.The tickets are sold at the Toledo Society Lighthouse tent at the festival. The cost is $15 per person and $12 for members.For the first time a 5:30 evening ride is offered.
LIGHTHOUSE DOCK AND RAMP
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday:
10     Magician, Balloons
11     Buffet by McCarthy
12:30 Lighthouse Discussion
1Great Lakes Ballads
              Lee Murdock
3Summer Songs  Dan & Don
5Steel Drums
            Toledo School of the Arts
7Beachboys by Bonker's
BP FIREWORKS DUSK
Sunday:
10Magician, Balloons
11        Maumee Lake Erie Songs
             Russ Franzen
12:30   Lighthouse Discussion 
1  Summer Music
             JD Owen
3:30     Steel Drum
          Toledo School of the Arts
5  Silent Auction Concludes