Spring Lecture Series: Loving a Lighthouse—The Purchase and Restoration of Fairport Harbor West

Join us for our 2026 Spring Lecture Series, presented by Larry and Karen Bettcher. Offered as a hybrid event, participants can choose when registering to take part in-person at the museum or online via Zoom.

Loving a Lighthouse—The Purchase and Restoration of Fairport Harbor West with speaker Sheila Consaul.

📅 Wednesday, June 3, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 In person at the National Museum of the Great Lakes or online via Zoom
💵 Free | Registration required

Members – We will hold our brief annual membership meeting before the lecture.

About the Lecture

Sheila Consaul, private lighthouse owner and preservation advocate, shares the remarkable story of purchasing and restoring Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse on Lake Erie.

In 2011, Consaul acquired the historic lighthouse from the federal government through an auction authorized by the National Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. Vacant for more than 60 years, Fairport Harbor West had suffered extensive deterioration and faced an uncertain future.

This lecture traces the journey from purchase to preservation, highlighting the challenges, setbacks, and triumphs of restoring a neglected lighthouse into a fully renovated three-bedroom, three-bath summer home—while honoring its maritime heritage. Consaul’s story offers a rare, personal look at what it takes to save and live within a piece of Great Lakes history.

This lecture is free, but registration is required. Donations are always happily accepted.

About the Speaker

Sheila Consaul is an experienced corporate communications/public relations/media relations and marketing professional with decades of experience. She has worked for controversial organizations, Fortune 50 clients, non-profits and trade associations including as the primary spokesperson for United Way of America, America’s largest non-profit, during Hurricane Katrina in 2006. Sheila holds a Master’s degree in Public Communication from The American University and a B.A. in International Studies from Bradley University, Peoria, IL. She is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies.

In addition to her career, Sheila spends time volunteering for a variety of interests and causes. Sheila is passionate about pet therapy working with several organizations including People Animals Love, Fairfax (VA) Pets on Wheels, HOPE-Animal Assisted Crisis Response, and the American Red Cross Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. Sheila also enjoys historic preservation, owns a lighthouse that she has restored and is the Resident Curator of historic Ash Grove estate in Vienna, VA.