Cleveland, Ohio

The Whisky Island Coast Guard Station (U.S. Coast
Guard Station #219), was designed by the architect,
J. Milton Dyer. Dyer was a well known architect
in those days, his work included Cleveland City
Hall, Painesville City Hall, the Warrensville
Correctional Center, and many other buildings
throughout the area.

The station opened in 1940, but right away
experienced difficulties. The building was
remote, there was no connection to municipal
sewage treatment facilities, and the water pipes
that ran along the peir would freeze and burst
if left on in the winter. So in 1972 operations
were moved to the East 9th street peir.

Years later the property was sold at auction
to Jacobs Investments, and was renovated into
a restaurant and nightclub called "The Island".
It was only open for one season before it closed
it's doors due to the same reasons that the Coast
Guard abandoned operations there.

Today it sits empty and crumbling. There are
talks however to renovate it once again. Ideas
include using it as an interpretive center and
gateway to the Towpath Trail. Right now all
we can do is hope that this fragile relic is
saved before it's lost forever.

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