Upstate New York Lighthouses

Rich in waterways, New York is equally rich in lighthouses. This page includes the lighthouses of upstate New York, including Lakes Erie and Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Champlain, and the state's inland waterways system. Another page, for downstate New York, includes lighthouses of the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, the New York City area, and the Hudson River.

Although there is no state lighthouse preservation society in New York, there are many regional and local preservation groups. Lighthouse preservation efforts are particularly strong at Buffalo and at several locations on Lakes Ontario and Erie. The lighthouses of Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River, however, are less well known and somewhat neglected; many of them are in private hands.

USCG numbers for Lake Champlain lighthouses are from Volume I of the USCG Light List; for the St. Lawrence River and the Lakes Erie and Ontario the numbers are from Volume VII.

What's Hot:

Sodus Bay Light, Lake Ontario, October 2006
Creative Commons photo copyright Howard Owens

General Sources
New York Lighthouses: Photos, travel directions, and historical accounts by Kraig Anderson.
Lighthouses in New York, United States: Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Lighthouses of Lake Ontario and Lighthouses of Lake Erie: Part of William Britten's Lighthouse Getaway site. Photos and brief accounts of more than a dozen lighthouses.
Lighthouses of Lake Ontario and Lighthouses of Lake Erie: Photographs and accounts of visits by Rudy and Alice Rico.
Lighthouses of New York: Photos and accounts by Bryan Penberthy, covering only the lights of Lakes Erie and Ontario.
Lighthouses of Jefferson County, New York: This site has some good information on several lighthouses of lower Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence.
Lake Erie Lighthouses: Excellent photos by Karl Josker.
Lake Champlain Lighthouses
*** Champlain Memorial (Crown Point) (2): 1912 (station established 1859). Inactive since 1926. 55 ft (17 m) granite memorial with six columns surrounding a round cylindrical brick light tower. Mounted on the base of the lighthouse are bronze sculptures of Samuel de Champlain, a Native American and a French voyageur. This building replaced an 1858 brick tower. The original 1-1/2 story brick keeper's house, formerly attached, was demolished in 1926. The Library of Congress has a photo of the original lighthouse as it appeared about 1910, and the Coast Guard has a photo showing the light station as it appeared with the keeper's house from 1912 to 1926. Anderson has an excellent page for the lighthouse, Catherine New has a 2007 photo, and David Manthey has a photo taken from the lake. In June 2004 the state announced funding to restore the lighthouse in time for the 400th anniversary of Champlain's 1609 exploration of the Lake. Located on the point of land just southeast of the Champlain Bridge (NY/VT 17), adjacent to the Crown Point State Historic Site and within the campground of the Crown Point historic area. Google has a satellite view. Site open (entry fee to campground), tower open Wednesday through Sunday, mid May through October. Owner/site manager: N.Y. State Department of Environmental Conservation. ARLHS USA-207.
Barber's Point: 1873. Inactive since 1935. 36 ft (11 m) octagonal cylindrical wood tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a 2-story limestone and wood Empire-style keeper's house. Light tower and upper story of the house painted white with black trim; lantern roof is black. The modern light is on a square cylindrical skeletal tower (1935; focal plane 72 ft (22 m); white flash every 4 s). Sibling of Colchester Reef VT. Anderson has a page with good photos, and Robert English has a photo. Located on Barber Point, at the end of Barber Road off Dudley Road (county road 22G) south of Westport. Google has a satellite view. Site and tower closed (private residence). Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-036; USCG 1-39840.
Split Rock Point (2): 1867 (station established 1835). Reactivated (inactive 1928-2003); focal plane 93 ft (28 m); white flash every 4 s. 39 ft (12 m) octagonal limestone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house (1899). Tower is unpainted gray stone, lantern painted white with a gray roof. The keeper's house has been a private residence since 1931; it has been expanded and modernized. The light was moved to a red square pyramidal skeletal tower in 1928, but on March 19, 2003, the Coast Guard returned the light to the lighthouse. David Manthey has a panoramic photo of the light station showing both towers, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Split Rock Point south of Essex. Site and tower closed (private summer residence). Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-784; USCG 1-39810.
** Bluff Point (Valcour Island): 1874. Reactivated (inactive 1930-2004); focal plane 95 ft (29 m); white flash every 4 s. 35 ft (12 m) octagonal cylindrical frame tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a 2-story limestone and wood Empire-style keeper's house. The light tower and the upper story of the house are covered with red shingles; lower story is unpainted gray stone; lantern and gallery painted white. 300 mm solar-powered lens. Sibling of Barber's Point. In 1930 the active light was moved to a black square pyramidal skeletal tower (focal plane 105 ft (32 m); white flash every 4 s). In 2001, a state grant supported interior repairs to the lighthouse. The light was returned to the lighthouse on November 16, 2004. Anderson has a fine page for the light station, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. Located on the west shore of Valcour Island, a tiny part of Adirondack State Park, south of Plattsburgh; Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Accessible only by boat; the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum offers boat transportation to the island on summer weekends. Site open, tower open Sunday afternoons between July 1 and Labor Day. Owner: New York State Parks. Site manager: Clinton County Historical Association. ARLHS USA-065; USCG 1-39470.
Cumberland Head (2): 1868 (station established 1838). Reactivated (inactive 1934-2003); focal plane 75 ft (23 m); red flash every 4 s. 50 ft (15 m) round limestone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story limestone keeper's quarters; lantern painted black. Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The station was abandoned and heavily vandalized when Joseph and Rose Church bought it in 1948; they restored the buildings and lived on the site for nearly 50 years. Lighthouse Digest printed a history of the light station in 1996, when it was for sale. The light was moved back to the tower in March 2003 after being on a skeletal tower nearby for 69 years. Located on the Cumberland Head peninsula east of Plattsburgh. Visible from the Plattsburgh-Grand Isle VT ferry (NY/VT 314). Site and tower closed (private residence). Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-211; USCG 1-39380.
Point Aux Roches: 1858. Inactive since 1989. 50 ft (15 m) octagonal limestone block tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern painted black. The 1-1/2 story wood keeper's quarters, formerly attached, has been relocated nearby as a private residence. Anderson has a page with good photos, John Kulpa has provided a photo, Ferris has a closeup photo, and the Coast Guard has a historic photo. The masonry in the tower deteriorated, leading the Coast Guard to abandon it in 1989. The light was moved to a buoy offshore (USCG 1-39250). The tower remains in Coast Guard ownership. The Town of Beekmantown has expressed interest in leasing it for preservation, and the Lake Champlain Basin Program granted funds for an engineering study. Located on Point Aux Roches Road on the New York shore south of Isle la Motte, Vermont. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard (tower) and a private landowner (keeper's house). ARLHS USA-614.
St. Lawrence River Lighthouses
Ogdensburg Harbor (2): 1870 (station established 1834). Inactive since the 1960s. 65 ft (20 m) square cylindrical limestone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to 1-1/2 story stone and frame keeper's house. The upper part of the tower (an extension added in 1900) is painted white, while the original lower portion is unpainted gray stone; lantern painted red. Anderson has good photos, and Google has a satellite view. In June 2007, there was a brief flurry of concern when the owner, Blair Roethel, applied for a permit to demolish the lighthouse. Apparently this was part of an elaborate struggle between Roethel and the city council over taxes and development rules for waterfront property. Roethel has stated that he will not demolish the light and that he intends to maintain and restore it. He also established a web site for the lighthouse. Located at Lighthouse Point, 1 Jackson Street, on the St. Lawrence in Ogdensburg. There's a good view from the foot of Riverside Drive on the other (east) side of the Oswegatchie River. Site and tower closed (no visitors permitted). Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-562.
Crossover Island (2): 1882 (station established 1848). Inactive since 1941. 30 ft (9 m) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern red. 1-1/2 story Queen Anne style frame keeper's quarters (1848). Oil house and other buildings also preserved. Lighthouse is a sibling of Ten Pound Island MA. Pete Amass has a nice photo of the island; the modern post light (focal plane 28 ft (8.5 m); red flash every 4 s) can be seen in the river in front of the keeper's house. Anderson has a good page for the lighthouse. The light station is a private summer residence. The island and light station were sold in 2002 for $465,000; Lighthouse Digest carried a feature story on new owner John Urtis. Located near the international boundary in the middle of the St. Lawrence north of Chippewa Bay. Visible from NY 12 scenic overlook east of Chippewa Bay. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-206; Notmar (Canadian) 345; USCG 7-1195.
Sisters Island: 1870. Inactive since 1959. 60 ft (18 m) square cylindrical limestone brick tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one side of a 1-1/2 story limestone keeper's house; lantern painted white with a red roof. Anderson has good photos. Privately owned. Located on Sisters Island in the St. Lawrence off Schermerhorn Landing, about 2.5 miles (4 km) southwest of Chippewa Bay. Visible from NY 12 about 6 miles (10 km) east of Alexandria Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-1053.

* Clayton: 1961. Active (unofficial; maintained by the town); focal plane 18 ft (5.5 m); continuous white light. 15 ft (4.5 m) round granite tower with lantern; unpainted. This lighthouse was built by the local American Legion post as a memorial for local veterans of all wars. Located adjacent to the town docks on Riverside Drive at John Street in downtown Clayton, five blocks north of NY 12. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Town of Clayton.
* Cape Vincent Breakwater: 1900. Inactive since 1934. Short, square concrete block tower (now covered with white aluminum siding) with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted black. Formerly mounted at the end of the breakwater, the lighthouse was relocated to the grounds of the town hall in 1951. The Coast Guard has a historic photo of the light on the breakwater, and Anderson has excellent current photos. Located beside NY 12E (Market Street) near Stone Quarry Road at the southern entrance to Cape Vincent; Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Village of Cape Vincent. ARLHS USA-141.
Lake Ontario Lighthouses

Galloo Island (2): 1867 (station established 1829). Active; focal plane 58 ft (17.5 m); white flash every 6 s. 55 ft (16.5 m) round limestone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-1/2 story limestone keeper's house. Lighthouse Digest has an article on the history of the station. In 2000 the U.S. General Services Administration sold the lighthouse at auction after no public agency came forward to accept it. The owners, Anthony and Cara Dibnah, put the property back on the market in 2002 with an asking price of $295,000. There were no takers, but in November 2005 the lighthouse sold on eBay for $205,100. Located at the southwest end of Galloo Island, about 12 mi (20 km) west of Henderson Harbor. The shadow of the tower is prominent in a Google satellite view. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-314; USCG 7-2000.
* Stony Point (Henderson) (2): 1869 (station established 1830). Inactive since 1945. 73 ft (22 m) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, attached to 1-1/2 story keeper's house. Tower painted white, lantern black. One of two Stony Point Lights in New York; see under Hudson River Lighthouses on the Downstate page for the other one. Penberthy has a closeup photo, and Anderson also has good photos, including one that shows a skeletal tower used for some years after the lighthouse was closed. Foundations of the original (1830) lighthouse are visible. The lighthouse was repaired after being damaged by fire in 1966. Privately owned; the lighthouse was sold in 2002 for $272,500. The new owners, Willie and Sherry Faust, have replaced the roof and made other renovations to restore a more authentic appearance to the building. Located at the end of Lighthouse Road west of Henderson; Google has a satellite view. Site and tower closed, but there's an excellent view from the road. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-814.

Oswego Harbor West Pierhead (2): 1934 (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 57 ft (17.5 m); flash every 5 s, alternating red and white. Approx. 40 ft (12 m) square cylindrical metal tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one corner of a 1-story keeper's house, mounted on a stone caisson-like foundation at the end of the pier. The original 4° Fresnel lens is on display at the H. Lee White Marine Museum adjacent to the pier. Buildings painted white with red roofs. Fog horn (blast every 30 s). Anderson has a comprehensive page for the lighthouse, Lighthouse Digest has an article on the history of the station, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Robert Yasinsak has posted photos from a visit inside the tower, and Google has a good satellite view. In 2006, the lighthouse was offered for transfer under NHLPA, and city officials are working with the H. Lee White Marine Museum to acquire the lighthouse. Located at the end of West First Street in downtown Oswego. Good view from the city's Bretbeck Park. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-571; USCG 7-2080.
* Sodus Outer (Sodus Bay West Pier) (2): 1938 (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 51 ft (15.5 m); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 49 ft (15 m) square cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on concrete and stone pier; solar-powered lens. Tower painted white; lantern has a red roof. The old Sodus Bay Light served as the keeper's quarters. Anderson and Britten have great photos, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. This lighthouse replaced a square wood tower. Located at the Sodus Bay entrance in Sodus Point east of the old Sodus Point light; Google has a satellite view. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-765; USCG 7-2170.
**** Sodus Bay (Sodus Point) (2): 1871 (station established 1825). Inactive since 1901. 45 ft (14 m) square cylindrical limestone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to 2-1/2 story limestone keeper's house, which remained in service as the keeper's house for Sodus Outer Light. A rare 3-1/2° Fresnel lens has been mounted in the tower since 1984. Tower unpainted, lantern and gallery painted black. Fog bell is displayed on the grounds. Howard Owens's photo is at the top of this page, and Anderson has a great page for the lighthouse. This lighthouse is very similar to the classic "schoolhouse" lighthouses of the upper Great Lakes. The keeper's house, expanded by a 2-story frame addition in 1900, remained in service as the keeper's house for Sodus Outer Light. Used for Coast Guard housing until 1984, the building is now a lighthouse museum operated by the Sodus Bay Historical Society. The grounds are a 4-acre (1.6 ha) public park used for concerts in the summer. Located on the lakeshore off NY 14 in Sodus Point. Site open year-round, museum and tower open daily except Mondays May through October. Owner: Town of Sodus Point. Site manager: Sodus Bay Lighthouse and Museum. ARLHS USA-766.
* [Rochester Harbor (West Pierhead) (6)]: 1995 (station established 1838). Active; focal plane 40 ft (12 m); white flash every 4 s. 35 ft (10.5 m) round cylindrical "D9" tower, painted white with a narrow red band. The original wooden light was replaced in 1854 by another wooden light, then in in 1881 by a cast iron tower carrying the lantern and lens from the Port of Genesee Light. In 1884 that tower was relocated to the Cleveland, Ohio, West Breakwater; it was replaced by a larger cast iron tower shown in a U.S. Coast Guard photo. The 1884 lighthouse was replaced in 1931 by a square skeletal tower carrying a fog signal enclosure with a light on the roof; there is a 1985 photo showing this structure. The 1931 light tower is reported to have moved to the Rochester Gas and Electric Company's Russell Station generating plant, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of the pier, but we cannot confirm its presence there. The Ricos also have historical information and a closeup photo. Located at the end of the breakwater off the west side of the Genesee River entrance in Rochester; visible from Ontario Beach Park at the foot of Lake Avenue. Google has a satellite view. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-322; USCG 7-2320.
Braddock Point: 1899. Reactivated (inactive 1954-1999); focal plane 55 ft (17 m); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 50 ft (15 m) octagonal red brick tower with a modern "watch" room topped by a small cupola-style lantern. The 2-1/2 story red brick keeper's house has been a private residence since 1957. Originally 97 ft (30 m) tall, the tower was truncated to about 40 ft (12 m) by the Coast Guard due to structural damage. The private owners added the new room and lantern atop the stub of the old tower. The Ricos have historical information and report this light was reactivated on February 28, 1999. The Coast Guard has a historic photo showing the original appearance of the lighthouse. It was similar to Southeast Block Island Light (RI) and to the former Cleveland Light in Ohio, and in fact the lantern and lens from Cleveland were used here until 1954. Located at Bogus Point, 3 miles (5 km) west of Braddock Point, off the Lake Ontario State Parkway at Lighthouse Road, northwest of Rochester. Site and tower closed (private residence). Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-075; USCG 7-2350.
* [Oak Orchard Harbor]: 1871. Inactive since 1905. The lighthouse, a 32 ft (10.5 m) frame tower at the end of a breakwater, was destroyed in December 1916 by storms that also washed out the breakwater. The original keeper's house survives as a private residence. In 2003 the Oak Orchard Harbor Light Committee was formed to build a replica of the lighthouse at the mouth of the harbor at Point Breeze. In 2004 the state approved these plans and chartered the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum to operate the proposed lighthouse. In April 2006 the committee hired Chatfield Engineers to design and supervise the construction of the replica lighthouse. It was hoped that ground could be broken in 2007, but we have no current information. Keeper's house located on Archbald Road in Oak Orchard on the Lake. Site closed (private residence). ARLHS USA-559.

Buffalo Area and Lake Erie Lighthouses
Grand Island Range Front: 1917. Inactive. 36 ft (11 m) white octagonal wood tower with frame lantern and gallery. Tower painted white; lantern roof is blue. Kraig Anderson has a nice closeup, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. The rear range light, a skeletal tower, has been relocated to the Dunkirk Light (see below). We need information on the history of this lighthouse. Located in Ferry Village at the foot of Bush Road on the Tonawanda Channel, on the southeastern side of Grand Island; Google has a satellite view. Site is private, although polite visitors are usually tolerated; tower closed. Owner/site manager: Buffalo Launch Club. ARLHS USA-1047.
Buffalo Main (2): 1833 (station established 1818). Inactive since 1914 (since 1987 a decorative light has been displayed). 61 ft (18.5 m) octagonal limestone tower with lantern and gallery, 4° bivalve Fresnel lens (1903; transferred from South Buffalo light). The 3° Chance Brothers Fresnel lens used here in 1905-1914 and at the Outer Breakwater Light (below) in 1914-1958 is now displayed by the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. Keeper's house demolished. Anderson has good photos, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. A historic and beautifully restored lighthouse. In late 2007, Congress passed legislation transferring the lighthouse and 20 acres of waterfront from the Coast Guard to the city, and providing $3.1 million for development of a lakefront park. Located on the South Pier Promenade at the mouth of the Buffalo River (western end of the Eire Canal), off the Buffalo Skyway (NY 5) at Fuhrmann Boulevard. Google has a satellite view. Formerly on Coast Guard property, the site has been closed to the public in recent years but may reopen in 2008. Owner: City of Buffalo. Site manager: Buffalo Lighthouse Association. ARLHS USA-090.
Buffalo North Breakwater: 1903. Inactive since 1985. Unusual design: 29 ft (9 m) "bottle" or "bubble" shaped cast iron tower. Relocated in 1985 for display near the Buffalo light. Other displays include a bell buoy from the 1920s and a fog bell. Located on the South Pier Promenade at the mouth of the Buffalo River (western end of the Eire Canal), off the Buffalo Skyway (NY 5) at Fuhrmann Boulevard. Formerly on Coast Guard property, the site has been closed to the public in recent years but may reopen in 2008. Owner/site manager: Buffalo Lighthouse Association. ARLHS USA-1302.
Horseshoe Reef: 1856. Inactive since 1930. Originally a square wood keeper's house with a lantern on the roof, mounted on an iron frame platform above a square stone foundation. This lighthouse was built in Canadian waters by the U.S. Lighthouse Board, but the site was subsequently ceded to the U.S. by Canada. The building has completely collapsed and vanished, leaving only the iron framework and the lantern. Karl Josker has a great closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Middle Reef (actually not Horseshoe Reef) within sight of the other Buffalo lighthouses. Accessible only by boat; visible from Buffalo Main Light. Harbor tours available. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS USA-386.
Buffalo Intake Crib: 1908. Active (maintained by the City of Buffalo); focal plane 60 ft (18 m); two white flashes every 5 s. Navigation light mounted atop a lantern at the peak of a conical structure above a circular stone crib. The crib is a water supply intake. Karl Josker also has a fine photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located offshore about 350 yd (300 m) southeast of Horseshoe Reef. Accessible only by boat; visible from Buffalo Main Light. Harbor tours available. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: City of Buffalo. ARLHS USA-1301; USCG 7-2670.
Buffalo Harbor (Outer Breakwater) (3): 1961 (station established 1872). Active; focal plane 71 ft (21.5 m); flash every 10 s, alternating green and white. 71 ft (21.5 m) octagonal cylindrical tower with navigation light, painted white. No lantern. Fog horn (2 blasts every 30 s) as needed. Karl Josker has a good closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. The 1914 lighthouse, which was similar to the Lorain Harbor Light in Ohio, was demolished after being severely damaged by a collision with the freighter Frontenac in 1958. Located on the outer (detached) breakwater off the mouth of the Buffalo River. Accessible only by boat. Harbor tours available. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1299; USCG 7-2680.
Buffalo Harbor South Entrance (South Buffalo) (1): 1903. Inactive (since 1988?). 29 ft (9 m) round steel tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a concrete platform on the Stony Point Breakwater. The original 4° Fresnel lens was transferred to the Buffalo Main light. The lighthouse has been replaced by a post light (focal plane 36 ft; white flash every 6 s) at the end of the breakwater. Karl Josker has a remarkable closeup photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the elbow of a breakwater marking the south side of the south entrance to Buffalo harbor, about 3 miles (5 km) south of the Buffalo light. Accessible only by boat; visible from the foot of Tifft Street off NY 5. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-091; USCG 7-2905.

* [Grand Island Range Rear]: 1917. Inactive. Approx. 30 ft (9 m) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with enclosed equipment room in the base. Relocated from Grand Island, north of Buffalo, for display at the Dunkirk Lighthouse Museum. Site open, museum open daily except Sunday and Wednesday May through October. Owner/site manager: Dunkirk Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum. ARLHS USA-1144.
* Dunkirk Pierhead (2): 1939. Inactive. Approx. 65 ft (20 m) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with enclosed equipment room in the base. Relocated from the pier for display at the Dunkirk Lighthouse Museum. Site open, museum open daily except Sunday and Wednesday May through October. Owner/site manager: Dunkirk Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum. ARLHS USA-1303.
[Dunkirk Pierhead (3)]: Active; focal plane 36 ft (11 m); red flash every 6 s. Round cylindrical "D9" tower, painted white with a narrow red band. This light replaced a skeletal tower (1939), now on display at Dunkirk Light; the original light was a wood tower. Located at the end of the west pier. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-249; USCG 7-3435.
* Barcelona (Portland Harbor): 1829. Inactive since 1859 (a decorative natural gas "streetlight" has been displayed since 1962). 40 ft (12 m) unpainted old-style round fieldstone tower. The original lantern was removed long ago; an open "lantern" platform was added in 1962. The original 1-1/2 story fieldstone keeper's house, modified in the 1890s, is a private residence recently renovated by the owners, Ann and Bruce Mulkin. In April 2005, the Mulkins put the property up for sale for $999,000. Britten has a great closeup photo. Lighthouse Digest has an article on the history of the light station, which was the first in the country to be lit with natural gas (1831). Located on Barcelona harbor, off I-90 at the Westfield exit. The tower is inconspicuous in a Google satellite view. Site and tower closed, but there is parking and a picnic area off NY 5 adjacent to the tower. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-038.
Oneida Lake Lighthouses
Cayuga Lake Lighthouses
* Myers Point: 1998. Active; focal plane about 40 ft (12 m); white flash every 6 s. Round brick tower with lantern, painted white with brown bands at the top and bottom. Built by volunteers as a community project, the light marks a conspicuous point jutting into the lake. Lighthouse Digest has an April 2003 article, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. Located in Myers Park in Lansing, on Myers Road off NY 34B about 10 miles (16 km) north of Ithaca. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Lansing Parks and Recreation Department. ARLHS USA-1216.
* Cayuga Inlet East: 1917 (relocated from the west bank to the east bank of the creek in 1927). Active; focal plane 28 ft (8.5 m); flashing white light. 25 ft (7.5 m) square pyramidal steel-clad wooden tower, painted white. John Kulpa has contributed a photo, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. Located at the end of the breakwater at Lighthouse Point, the east bank of the creek entrance at the southern end of the lake in Ithaca. Accessible by walking the breakwater after a hike of about 3/4 mile (1.2 km) from the western end of Pier Road. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: New York State Canals. ARLHS USA-1043.
Cayuga Inlet West: 1927. Active; focal plane 28 ft (8.5 m); flashing red light. 25 ft (7.5 m) square pyramidal steel-clad wooden tower, painted red. John Kulpa has contributed a photo, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. Located on a detached breakwater northwest of the creek entrance; the breakwater shelters the marina of the Allen H. Treman State Park off NY 89 northwest of Ithaca. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Site manager: New York State Canals. ARLHS USA-1213.
Other inland lighthouses
Shoal Point: 1890s. Active; focal plane about 30 ft (9 m); flashing white light. 30 ft (9 m) octagonal wooden (?) tower with wooden lantern. Built to mark a hazard in Fourth Lake, in the Adirondacks west of Inlet. Long neglected, this tower was fully restored in 2000-01 with private donations and a state historical preservation grant of $19,210. Located at the end of Cold Spring Camp Road, off NY 28 about 4 miles (6.5 km) west of Eagle Bay near the western end of the lake. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Fourth Lake Property Owners Association.
Cooperstown Marina: ca. 1955. Active; focal plane about 45 ft (13.5 m); quick-flashing white light. Approx. 40 ft (12 m) round cylindrical tower with a small lantern and gallery, painted white with a narrow horizontal red band; lantern painted black. The light is actually on a short mast atop the lantern, not in the lantern. Located at the end of Fair Street in Cooperstown, at the south end of Otsego Lake. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Lakefront Motel, Restaurant, and Marina.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Carleton Island (1859-1958?), St. Lawrence River. ARLHS USA-1246.
Fair Haven Pier (1872-1943), Lake Ontario. ARLHS USA-278.
Fair Haven Range (?-1945?), Lake Ontario. ARLHS USA-1304.
Genesee East Pier (1902-?), Lake Ontario. ARLHS USA-1214.
Niagara River Range Front and Rear (1885-?), Niagara River. ARLHS USA-1119 and 1120.
Oswego Inner (1836-1929), Lake Ontario. ARLHS USA-1203.
Plattsburgh Breakwater Northeast and Southwest (1867-?). ARLHS USA-1121 and 1123.
Seneca Lake (1870-1940s). ARLHS USA-1219.
Strawberry Island Lower Cut Range Rear (?-?), Niagara River. ARLHS USA-1221.
Strawberry Island Upper Cut Range Front and Rear (?-?), Niagara River. ARLHS USA-819 and 820.

Notable faux lighthouses:

Island Street Boatyard (2000), an ornate 70 ft (21 m) light tower attached to a 2-story brick building, has not been activated as an official aid to navigation. It is located on the Tonawanda Channel of the Niagara River in downtown North Tonawanda.
Mayville, on Chautauqua Lake, has a small faux lighthouse (1990s) in its Lakeside Park.
St. Johnsville Marina, on the Mohawk River between Schenectady and Sylvan Beach, has a small faux lighthouse.

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