Buffalo Harbor North Entrance Light, Buffalo, New York
BUFFALO HARBOR NORTH ENTRANCE LIGHT
Historical North Tower
Location: Northern entrance of Buffalo’s Stony Point breakwater.
Station Established: 1903.
Year Original Tower First Lit: 1903
Operational: No
Automated:1960.
Deactivated: Yes, 1985. Tower moved in 1985
Foundation Material: Stone filled crib, concrete pier.
Construction Material: Boiler plate/cast iron.
Tower Shape: Bottle. Measures 10.75 feet at bottom and 2.25 feet at top. Four cast iron port windows and curved iron door.
Tower Height: 29 feet
Markings/Pattern: White
Relationship with Other Structures: Separate
Original Optic: Sixth Order Fresnel
Year Original Optic Installed: 1903
Characteristics: Flashing green visible for 13 miles.
Replacement Optic: 300 mm lens
Year Replacement Optic Installed: 1960
Ownership: Buffalo Lighthouse Association.
Open to the Public: Yes
Current North Tower
Location: Northern entrance of Buffalo’s Stony Point breakwater.
Station Established: Tower constructed in 1985.
Operational: Yes
Automated: Yes
Deactivated: No
Foundation Material: concrete breakwater pier.
Construction Material: Pole.
Tower Shape: Pole Light
Historical Information:
- In the latter part of the ninetieth century ship traffic to Buffalo necessitated expansion of the Buffalo harbor and a new breakwater was constructed south of the main harbor.
- At the turn of the last century funds were appropriated for construction of light stations to mark the new breakwater.
- In 1903 two identical lights shaped like a bottle were placed on breakwaters marking openings to the harbor. One of the bottle lights was placed at the north side of the southern entrance to the harbor.
- The bottle light was made of cast iron riveted together and painted white.
- The bottle light was removed and placed on display near the 1833 Old Main Buffalo Lighthouse inside the Buffalo Coast Guard Base.
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, August 4, 1983.
- Maintained by keepers from the Buffalo Main Light. Restored to its 1903 configuration with a reconstructed ventilator dome.
Researched and written by Ed Shaw, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.