Port Clinton's first lighthouse, one of the earliest on Lake Erie, was a forty-foot split-stone tower erected at the mouth of the Portage River in 1833, with a detached stone dwelling for the lighthouse keeper and his family. The light was discontinued in 1870 because of its poor location and a lack of river traffic, but growth in fishing and tourism in the late 19th century led to the rerouting of the river and construction of a new lighthouse in 1896. This pier light ensured safe passage in and out of the Portage River, with a kerosene lamp and fifth order Fresnel lens providing a fixed red light visible for eight miles. A two-story wood home replaced the old stone dwelling, and a boathouse was built at the south end of the east pier to facilitate access to the lighthouse. Converted to electricity in 1926, the light continued to operate until 1952. Although the keeper's dwelling and boathouse have not survived, the 1896 lighthouse was meticulously restored by the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy and moved to this site in 2016, and it stands today as the last remaining timber-frame lighthouse on Lake Erie.