Kelleys Island

Kelleys Island is both a village in Erie County, Ohio, and the island which it fully occupies in Lake Erie. The British originally called it Sandusky Island. Later the United States took it over and officially designated it as Island Number 6 and Cunningham Island. It was renamed as Kelleys Island in 1840 by brothers Datus and Irad Kelley, who had purchased nearly the entire island.

Kelleys Island is heavily forested except for several residential areas, some for year-round residents, others for summer vacationers. Some small farms and a small limestone quarry still operate on the island. Each summer since 1974 (typically in August), the island hosts a weekend-long homecoming festival, which includes a theme parade featuring both locals and vacationers, a picnic, and a number of food and craft booths.

In 1975, 23 acres (9.3 ha) on the island’s southern shore were designated as a historic district, the Kelleys Island South Shore District, and added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1988, the district was renamed to the Kelleys Island Historic District and expanded to include the entire island.

Kelleys Island features a number of public beaches. Many areas allow swimming, boating, and fishing. The most common types of establishments on Kelleys Island are pubs and restaurants, almost all of which have a summer season from May into September. The island also features a coffee shop, miniature golf course, several small general/convenience stores, and a large number of gift shops.

Kelleys Island State Park contains a large campground. Camp Patmos, a Christian youth camp, is located on the northeast side of the island. Camp Patmos was purchased in 1952 from Nativity B.V.M. Parish of Cleveland as the site of a faith-based summer camp for youth. A chapel was built in 1959 and a pool was added in 1968. Twenty new cabins were also built for campers. Camp Patmos has added many more buildings and programs since then, including a rec center, a 200-foot (61 m) dock, pophouse, and guest cabins. It continues to run Christian summer camp and retreat programs for youth from 4th thru 12th grade.

The Erie County 4H Camp is located on the north side of the island.