Below is a list of improvements and maintenance made to the Lorain Lighthouse by year. Also, major purchases made.
Most of the improvements were made by a very dedicated group volunteers who work at the Lighthouse every Thursday during the summer months.
Some of the improvements were made with grant money and donations.
2023:
- Completed maintenance tasks to open the Lighthouse
- Transported merchandise and set up the gift shop
- Completed installation of the EcoJohn incinerator system and began operation
- Installed waste tank
- Installed new toilet and hooked up the waste line for the toilet
- Ran new electrical wiring for roof lighting system
- Contracted for chimney restoration and installation of a liner – transported and monitored the contractors – cost of $13,700
- Painted the inside walls of the Lighthouse – 1st & 2nd floors
- Spent one day assisting with the maintenance of the camera system & WiFi
- Pressure washed the outside of the Lighthouse
- Repaired the outside water line
- Contracted for monthly pest control service
- Repairs to work boat at a cost in excess of $9,000 – caused us to loose 3 weeks of maintenance at the start of the season
- Lost 3 days of maintenance due to weather
- Total volunteer hours – 735
2022:
- Put in new incinerator for waste system and removed old waste system
- Installed a new remote controlled lighting system (8 new led lights on the outside of lighthouse and ran new wiring for these lights)
- Painted the lighthouse on the outside (20 gals white 20 gals of gray and15 gals of red – it took 2 weeks to paint with bad weather)
- Contracted for monthly pest control service
- Put new post in on the east side of lighthouse for boat to dock
- Finish water line to bathroom
- Purchased a paint compressor
- Pressure washed outside of lighthouse
- Total volunteer hours – 1,065
2021:
- Installation of a Culligan water purification system was completed
- Received a U.S. Coast guard dress blue uniform donated by Harry Siegfried who was assigned to the Lorain Lighthouse from 1948 to 1949
- Purchased a cover for the lift
- Installed ceiling fan in day room
- Installed new water line to pump water from Lake Erie for washing purposes and tested water tank and plumbing for leaks
- Pot belly stove added to kitchen – donated by the Lorain Historical Society
- Added an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) – donated by Ed Oley, CEO, Mercy Health
- Added five new security cameras
- Total volunteer hours – 959
2020:
- Purchased a one man lift (Donated by Pat and Sue Mahony )
- Completed work on third floor museum
- Completed water tank installation on third floor
- Painted basement stairs
- Painted railings on outside of Lighthouse
- Finished painting the walls in the lantern room
- Installed electrical conduit for new security system
- Caulk concrete on outside deck
- Patched interior walls from water leaks
- Replace one dock post for boat tie up
- Total volunteer hours – 882
2019:
- Refinish wooden hand rails on all three floors
- All inside wood doors varnished
- Patch brick on chimney
- Installed gate on west side of Lighthouse
- New display case by front door
- Finished work on fog horn display box
- Installed metal around exterior of fog horn box to prevent leaks
- Began work on museum on the third floor
- Began work on water tank installation (ran pipe from basement to third floor, boxed in the pipe & ran electrical wiring)
- Installed toilet pipe & fan in bathroom
- Caulk concrete on main deck
- Replace one dock post for boat tie up
- Painted half the walls in the lantern room
- Total volunteer hours – 980
2018:
- New roof on walkway outside of the lantern room (Materials donated by Tusing Builders)
- Painted railings outside the lantern room
- Painted the attic floor
- Installed a reproduction of the fog horn mechanisms located in the attic (Fog horn donated by Mike Zunich)
- Installed new hand railings on the stairway leading to attic and basement
- Sanded & painted the upper metal kitchen cabinet
- Purchased new bunk bed for bedroom
- Built a water tank in attic
- Painted railings outside on the main deck
- Added new security and WiFi system (Grant from Lorain Rotary Club Prucha fund)
2017:
- Purchased and installed 20 new window shades
- Brought the original electric generator to the Lighthouse from Riverside building
- Replaced plaster at sights of water damage on all floors
- Painted all rooms from the attic to the basement (grant from the Stocker Foundation)
- Installed new LED light fixtures at the exterior of the Lighthouse
- Purchased and installed new screen doors
- Built a new wood cabinet with sink in kitchen
- Refinished the doors on 2nd Floor
- Painted the floors in bathroom and tool room
- Relocated the compost toilet from tool room to original bathroom and improved the operation of the compost toilet
- Replaced the shutter dogs,
- Received & installed plaques from the National Register of Historical Places & Lorain County Landmark designation
- Hosted the celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Lighthouse with installation of the Ohio Historical marker on the Mile-long Pier Dock F