Fort Niagara Light is an inactive lighthouse on the Niagara River on the south shore of

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border ...

in New York state. It is located on the grounds of

Fort Niagara Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built by New France to protect its interests in North America, specifically control of access between the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes. The fort is on the river's e ...

History

The lighthouse was established in 1769 atop the "French Castle", a structure still located within Old Fort Niagara. The current tower was first lit in 1872, having been removed from the French Castle to allow for more room for officer's quarters. The light was deactivated in 1996, having been replaced by a light beacon at the US Coast Guard Station Niagara. The foundation was natural/emplaced and the lighthouse was constructed out of limestone with a brick lining. The tower is octagonal in shape with a black lantern. The original lens was a fourth order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

installed in 1859 National Register Status: LISTED; Reference #84002809 Name of Listing: FORT NIAGARA LIGHT (U.S. COAST GUARD/GREAT LAKES TR) Part of Old Fort Niagara National Historic Landmark; First two towers constructed on the fort; Third (current) tower constructed south of fort; Tower replaced by modern beacon in order to save trees obstructing lantern in 1993.

Cultural

The Archives Center at the

Smithsonian National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

has a collection (#1055) of souvenir

postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. There are novelty exceptions, such as wood ...

s of lighthouses and has digitized 272 of these and made them available online. These include postcards of Fort Niagara Light Smithsonian lighthouse postcards
with links to customized nautical charts provided by

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

References

External links

Fort Niagara Lighthouse
at American Byways {{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1782 Lighthouses completed in 1872 Lighthouses in New York (state) 1782 establishments in the British Empire Transportation buildings and structures in Niagara County, New York Lighthouses of the Great Lakes

History

Cultural

See also

References

Further reading

External links