Mohawk Island Lighthouse - Coastal Lighthouses on Waymarking.com

Lying about 2km off the North Shore of Lake Erie, a small island – which can be seen from shore on a clear day, sits silently. What attracts you to this island is the ghostly image of a lighthouse and
attached building.

The island is known as “Gull Island” by locals, but is formally called “Mowhawk Island” the island is crown land. It's owned by the Government of Canada and often patrolled by the Coast Guard to
prevent vandalism.

Built in 1846 by engineer John Brown using shale and limestone from Queenston Quarry, the island was used to keep ships sailing on lake Erie safe from the shallows of Mowhawk Reef and mark Mowhawk Bay, near the mouth of the grand river, a major shipping lane of the time. The island was used from 1849 to 1964 and took the lives of two men who were leaving the island to come home for Christmas in 1932.

Approaching the island today, much of the original lighthouse still remains. Noise from the seabirds can be heard from several hundred metres off the coast. A large yellow sign is in place on the North
side of the island which states that the island is off limits between April 1st and July 31st due to sea bird nesting.
The island itself lays low to the water and is made of bare stone which is rich in fossils of worms, leaves, snails, and other pre-historic creatures. The area is covered in zebra mussels and of course bird droppings. The old Light Keepers House and Lighthouse still stand tall over the small 2 hectare island. As you walk along the island, hundreds of sea birds are visible and fly overhead. Birds such as the Ringbill & Herring Gull, Common & Caspin Turn, and even the Comorant will “sound the alarm” as you walk past. Approaching the ruins of the lighthouse you can see large portions have broken off
and crumbled, but the building itself is still intact, save the porch area which has succumbed to the fury of Lake Erie. Part of the house has some scaffolding attached to it, and the house itself has
managed to serve as a refuge for wild plants who have taken hold. The island is dotted with dead birds and the old house is no exception. The house is attached to the lighthouse, but has a deep layer
of bird poop on the floor as the stone cylinder interior is a perfect nesting place.

The island is truly a piece of marine history of the Great Lakes and certainly deserves to be
remembered.

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Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/14/2019 Bon Echo visited it 03/10/2014 dnice visited it 08/01/2010 Kreamer&BearsKrew visited it 05/09/2010 The Blue Quasar wrote comment for it 12/26/2008 Wolfmaan visited it

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