Bluff Point Light, also known as the Valcour Island Light, on Valcour Island in

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

was in service from its construction in 1874 until 1930 and was one of the last

lighthouses A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mark ...

on Lake Champlain to be named. It is now part of

Adirondack State Park The Adirondack Park is a part of New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure”, and for watershed protection. The park ...

and operated as a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

by the Clinton County Historical Association, an affiliate of the Adirondack Coast Cultural Alliance (ACCA). Bluff Point Light, for which the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

approved $15,000 in funding in 1870, with a base of blue

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, stands more than above the shore. The grounds also include a wooden shed (which has since collapsed and was removed), a cistern and a privy. For almost sixty years, the Victorian style lighthouse and its fifth order Fresnel lens guided ships through the

channel Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...

between Valcour Island and

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

. As was the case with many other lighthouses, the lighthouse keeper for Bluff Point Light was a disabled

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

, Major William Herwerth, who worked at the lighthouse from 1876 until 1881 when he died while on duty. In an unusual position for a woman at that time, Herwerth's wife Mary was given command of the lighthouse, which she maintained until 1902. In 1930, the lighthouse ceased operation when a steel tower with an automated light was built to the south of the lighthouse, rendering the lighthouse obsolete. The lighthouse remained unlit until 2002 when the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

lit it in August 2002, although it was not officially put back into service until 2004. After the lighthouse was taken out of service, it was purchased by Doctor Otto Raboff from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

who renovated and used it as a summer house with his family. In the 1980s, the lighthouse became a part of Adirondack State Park and the

Department of Environmental Conservation has held the deed to the house since 1986 and pays for all maintenance. Since that time, the Clinton County Historical Association worked to restore the lighthouse and preserve it as a museum. In 1999, the Association was given an award by

Adirondack Architectural Heritage Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is a private nonprofit, membership organization dedicated to the preservation of the historic architecture of New York State’s Adirondack Park. Their offices are located in the historic Ausable Horse Nail ...

for their stewardship of the lighthouse.

References

External links

The Bluff Point Lighthouse at Valcour Island
{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1874 Museums in Clinton County, New York Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Lighthouse museums in New York (state) Lake Champlain National Register of Historic Places in Clinton County, New York Transportation buildings and structures in Clinton County, New York

References

Further reading

External links