The beauty, mystery and romance of lighthouses that have fascinated and enchanted people for centuries. The four stamp designs stamps celebrate five historic lighthouses: Montauk Point, NY; Navesink, NJ; Erie Harbor, PA; Harbor of Refuge, DE; and Thomas Point Shoal, MD.

This Erie Harbor Lighthouse is one of three located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It stands on the end of a long pier at the eastern end of Presque Isle, a curved peninsula that forms a natural harbor. Why call a peninsula an isle? “Presque isle” translates as “almost an island.”

The north pier lighthouse began life in 1828 as a simple wooden tower topped with a whale oil beacon. It was built in response to mariner’s complaints that the land-based lighthouse (built in 1818) was not always visible and didn’t mark the channel entrance. It was upgraded to a sixth-order Fresnel lens in 1854, shortly before being destroyed when rammed by the schooner “Pilgrim Progress.”

The rebuilt tower, which is the current structure, has been twice moved further out on the pier. Finally, in 1940, steel plates were added to enclose the formerly open tower and it was given its distinctive black and white paint scheme. The lighthouse is now fully automated and features a solar-powered optic.