Located along the western breakwall, at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, the Whiskey Island Coast Guard Station (#219) was home to Coast Guardsmen for nearly 30 years. Commissioned in 1940, the Art-Deco inspired station was, perhaps, the most modern in the Coast Guard at the time. Several small boats operated from the station year round, performing the missions of search and rescue (SAR) and maritime law enforcement on Lake Erie. Upon decommissioning in the early 1970s, the Coast Guard established a new small boat station on the Coast Guard moorings, at the foot of East 9th Street. The old "Whiskey Island Station," as it came to be known fell into disrepair. The property was eventually sold to a private developer. During the early 1990s, the station was briefly operated as a restaurant and nightclub called "The Island." Because of logistical challenges (patrons had to be ferried from across the river)and a lack of city sewer service (porta-potties were made available), the club ceased operation. Recently aquired by the owners of the Whiskey Island Marina, a facility adjacent to the station property; efforts are now underway to restore the station and grounds for use as a museum, gift shop and meeting space.
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