Lodrick Brown

Lodrick Brown is buried at the Perkins Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio. Mr. Brown was born on September 8, 1800 and he died on May 21, 1882. The United States Coast Guard's website pertaining to Lighthouses states that Lodavick Brown served as the Keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse from 1849 to 1853.

A quick search on WorldConnect indicates that Lodavick Brown was the son in law of William Kelly, the builder of the Marblehead Lighthouse. Lodrick/Lodavick Brown was married to William's daughter Margaret. Cemetery records state that Mrs. Margaret Brown's death date was March 11, 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Brown's daughter Eunice Brown Dewitt worked tirelessly on the home front during World War One. She knit over one hundred pairs of socks for the soldiers overseas.

The Marblehead Lighthouse, so closely connected to the Kelly and Brown families, still stands today as a beacon on the Great Lakes. Thousands of tourists visit the Lighthouse every year.

Sentimental Sunday: Commemorative Brick at Marblehead Lighthouse

While this commemorative brick was dedicated in June of 2010, the Marblehead Lighthouse has been in operation on Lake Erie since 1822. You can read about Benajah Wolcott, the first keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse here, and you can learn more about William Kelly, the builder of the Marblehead Lighthouse, here.

Visiting the Marblehead Lighthouse on a hot summer day is such a joyful experience. The lake provides refreshing cooling breezes, and those blustery winter days are a distant memory!

Benajah Wolcott, Keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse

The Marblehead Lighthouse, which overlooks Sandusky Bay, has been in operation since 1822. At the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website for the Marblehead Lighthouse State Park, we read that Benajah Wolcott was the first keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse.



Benajah Wolcott was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and one of the area’s first settlers. Benajah and his wife, the former Rachel Miller, and their family lived in a stone cabin a short distance from the lighthouse. The cabin, now known as the “Keeper’s House,” was built by stonemason William Kelly. Mr. Kelly had also been the mason in charge of building the Marblehead Lighthouse.


Benajah Wolcott died of cholera on August 11, 832. After his death, his wife Rachel became the lighthouse keeper. Seasonal tours are available of both the Marblehead Lighthouse and the Keeper’s House.



The Wolcott Cemetery is located about a half mile behind the Keeper’s House. The cemetery is open to the public, but there are chains on the gate that need to be unfastened and reconnected after your visit. Surrounding the cemetery is undeveloped wooded land, resulting in a very peaceful setting.

(Click on the image to the left, for an enlarged view.)

William Kelly, Builder of the Marblehead Lighthouse

William Kelly was born in Ireland in 1779. His first wife was Jane Reid, and his second wife was Lydia Hartshorn. William and Jane had eight children, and after Jane's death, William and Lydia Kelly had five children.

In the early 1800's William Kelly emigrated to the United States. He moved to Sandusky in 1818, where he was the city's first stone mason. William Kelly is best known for his work building the Marblehead Lightouse. The structure was begun in 1821. It is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes. Below is a photograph of the lighthouse in the winter months.





William died on December 7, 1867. He is buried in Section 2 of Oakland Cemetery. A collection of William Kelly's original account books are held by the R. B. Hayes Presidential Center. An excellent biographical sketch is also found on the R. B. Hayes web site.

A granddaughter of Mr. Kelly was Mrs. Eunice Brown Dewitt, who was a tireless worker on the home front during World War One.