A BEACON THROUGH TIME: Visit Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse for National Lighthouse Day

from Dansville-Wayland- Genesee Valley Penny Saver- 08-04-23

Thank You

BY ELIJAH ROBINSON

In honor of Lighthouse Day, August 7th, let’s shine a light on a Rochester landmark and national treasure: the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, America’s oldest surviving lighthouse on Lake Ontario.

ere is a long history behind this lighthouse we may overlook. According to lighthousefriends.org, President Je erson declared in 1804 that the 70-mile stretch along the southern shore of Lake Ontario from Oak Orchard to Sodus Bay, would become a port district centered at the Genesee River and the lake. Rochester, which had access to three waterfalls, became a vital our-milling center six miles south of the port and Charlotte.

Torches on large pilot trees or lamps atop the region’s rst hotels used to guide ships entering the port. However, with the sandbars on the marshy river entrance, entry to the river proved challenging for ships. Along with land development to help ship tra c, lighting options were discussed.

A four-acre plot of land was purchased by recently widowed Mehitabel Hincher for $400 in 1821 for the construction of a lighthouse. e lighthouse contract, including a tower, a 20x34 foot two-room keeper’s cottage, and a well, was awarded to Ashbel Symons in 1822, and Symon’s construction team took seven months to complete it at a cost of $3,301. Improvements have been made to the lighthouse and keeper’s house over the years, including a rotating lens to distinguish its light from nearby beacons for mariners in 1852, and electri cation in 1917.

e United States eventually sold the lighthouse and home in 1981, and Monroe County purchased them. In 1984, students from a local high school constructed the lighthouse’s top we see today. e Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse Historical Society was founded in 1983 to preserve and maintain the tower (1822), the Keeper’s House (1863), and the historic acreage as an educational center, open to the public, where residents and visitors can learn the history of the City of Rochester’s maritime heritage.

e US Coast Guard retrieved the fourth-order Fresnel lens the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse had borrowed in 2011 to send to go on display in Black River Landing’s lobby of the Lorain Port Authority because the lens previously served at Lorain Lighthouse in Ohio. Using funds provided by an anonymous donor, Artworks Florida ordered a replica Fresnel for Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse. To repair the brick collar that supported the lantern room, it was removed before the new xed fourthorder lens was installed. About six weeks later, the lantern room was hoisted back atop the lighthouse on September 25, 2014.

Lighting in the lamp room today is a recreation of what was once inside the lighthouse. e Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse is now an o cial Coast Guard lighthouse. e Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse has stood as a guardian of Lake Ontario for centuries. From its humble beginnings in the early 19th century to its enduring presence as a historic icon, the lighthouse has witnessed the evolution of maritime navigation and the changing tides of history. Today, it remains a symbol of perseverance, guiding both ships and admirers through the annals of time. Visitors can enjoy amazing views from the top of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse throughout the season, though it is notable that the spiral staircase within the lighthouse is tight. Visits to the lighthouse start in the museum located in what was the Keeper’s House. e museum showcases exhibits on lighthouses, Charlotte’s history, as well as maritime travels and trade. Check out the current additional exhibit on local women involved in the su rage movement.

Happy National Lighthouse Day, Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse and friends who help keep its heritage alive.

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