Future glowing for Ashtabula Lighthouse

By CARL E. FEATHER
Lifestyle Editor

ASHTABULA ­ Santa was good to the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration and Preservation Society this year.
So good, in fact, Vice President Joe Santiana says the society has enough money in its coffers to approach the Coast Guard with a long-term lease offer.
Playing Santa this year to the nonprofit group was an Ashtabula native with fond memories of the lighthouse and the Ashtabula Foundation, which granted $8,500 to the group for restoration work.
John Cogan, a Minnesota college professor who grew up in Ashtabula, and his wife Grace recently donated $3,000 to the society. Of that, $500 was a gift the Cogans gave in lieu of giving each other Christmas presents. The balance was a memorial for his parents, John G. "Jerry" and Marjorie Cogan.
Santiana says the gifts, along with dues and other contributions collected in the past year, will give the society enough money to make a sales pitch to the Coast Guard. They plan to submit a certified financial statement and written plan to the Coast Guard shortly after the first of the year.
The General Services Administration (GSA) has placed Ashtabula's Lighthouse on the list of disposable properties. The Coast Guard is willing to relinquish the structure to a not-for-profit entity or municipality, however, it will retain an active light on the site.
Santiana says the society must convince the Coast Guard that it is fiscally able to carry out its plan of restoration and use . "If we qualify, they will turn it over to use for no money," he says. "If we don't keep it up, then they will take it back."
If no group or municipality shows an interest in the lighthouse, it will go to the highest bidder in a sealed-bid auction. Santiana doesn't want to see that happen.
"We're afraid that if nothing is done to the lighthouse and it goes through all the processes and nobody wants it, it will be torn down and one of those steel towers put up," he says.
Society members want to restore the lighthouse so it can be used for education and tourism activities. Despite rumors in the community, they have no plans of establishing a bed and breakfast there, says Santiana.
The lighthouse was built on the west pierhead in 1904-05. The pier was extended a decade later and, on June 30, 1916, the steel structure was relocated to a crib at the end of the extended pier, where it remains.
The society was formed Nov. 27, 2000, with 15 members and a donation from the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival in Alpena, Mich. Dennis Hale is president; Lorna Grecius, secretary; Debbie Santiana, treasurer; and Bob Frisbie, historian.
Santiana says there are now 50 members, many of them lighthouse fans who do not live in this area. The society had a booth at this year's Alpena festival and signed up new members there. Members were also recruited at the local festival, held in June.
"We'd like to get more locals," he says.
Memberships are $15 single and $30 family. The first 100 members will be listed on a bronze plaque that will be placed in the lighthouse.
A group of society members made a field trip to the lighthouse last summer to assess the condition of the structure and crib. Much to every person's surprise, the lighthouse was found to be in much better condition than expected.
"It's structurally sound," he says. "The roof is in super shape. The basement was amazingly dry."
Santiana says the structure needs to be power washed from top to bottom and years of dust and dirt cleared out of the interior. The lighthouse needs a good coat of paint and its windows will have to be replaced. Electrical power would have to be reconnected, as well (the navigational light is powered by batteries recharged with solar panels). Santiana says volunteers have already lined up for cleaning and paint details.
A floating dock and walkway that would facilitate easier access to the structure would have to purchased before a regular visitation schedule could be established. Santiana said exhibits ranging from the lighthouse-keeper lifestyle to Great Lakes ecology and weather could be housed in the structure.
No formal estimate of what all this will cost has been calculated, but Santiana guesses that $100,000 should get the lighthouse in good shape and establish some programs there.
The group is discussing whether or not to hold another festival this year. Santiana says if they decide to have one, it will probably be scaled back from last year's three-day event.
The group meets monthly and announces its location and time on the local cable channel. Membership applications and donations can be sent to the group in care of Santiana at P.O. Box 221, North Kingsville, OH 44068. He says the group is working on a website, as well.