Prior to its automation, 15 lighthouse keepers, two of whom were women, have tended the beacon. The first keeper was Benajah Wolcott, a Revolutionary War veteran and one of the first settlers on the peninsula (although from 1819–1821, resided in the City of Sandusky.). After the 1821 completion of the lighthouse and also an adjacent stone "keeper's house", Wolcott and his family moved into that official "keeper's house". Each night, he lit the wicks of the 13 whale oil lamps that were the original light fixture ( composed of multiple diameter metal reflectors which helped project the light across the lake). Other duties of the lighthouse-keeper included compiling a log of passing ships, noting the weather conditions, and organizing rescue efforts. After Wolcott's death in 1832, his wife, Rachel, took over these duties (and afterward, her final husband, Jeremiah VanBenschoter, took over those same duties). In 1858, the whale oil lamps were replaced by the light from a single kerosene lantern magnified by a Fresnel lens; this specialized, curved glass lens created a highly visible, fixed white light. In 1880, the original 1821 stone keeper's-house (adjacent to the lighthouse) was replaced with the present large wood-frame Keeper's House. [ Note: these structures should not be confused with the (so-called) "Keepers' House"/Wolcott House, which is approx. distant from the lighthouse.]