Charlotte–Genesee Lighthouse

The Charlotte–Genesee Lighthouse is an 1822 stone octagonal[5] lighthouse in the Charlotte neighborhood in northern Rochester, New York, United States. The 40 ft (12 m) tower is located on Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Genesee River. It originally had 10 whale oil Argand lamps, which were replaced with a Fresnel lens in 1853.[6]

Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse

Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse
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Location	70 Lighthouse St., Rochester, New York
Coordinates	43°15′10″N 77°36′40″W
Year first lit	1822[1]
Deactivated	Active[1][2]
Construction	Stone, white tower[3]
Tower shape	Octagonal
Tower height	40 feet (12 m)[1]
Focal height	14 metre
Original lens	Fourth order Fresnel lens[1]
Range	9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi)[2]
Characteristic	White, Fixed[2]
Heritage	place listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
NRHP reference No.	74001259[4]
Added to NRHP	August 13, 1974

On February 28, 1881, the lighthouse was turned off. After nearby piers changed the mouth of the river, it was far from the water. The light was then moved to a pier in 1884.[7]

In 1965, Charlotte High School students started a letter writing campaign to save the lighthouse from impending destruction.[8] It was declared surplus in 1981 by the government. It is now owned by Monroe County and managed as a museum by the Charlotte Genesee Lightouse Historical Society, a nonprofit volunteer organization.

It is part of the Seaway Trail, a National Scenic Byway.[9] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a City of Rochester Landmark. It is open to the public.

As of 2014, the lighthouse is active, and listed in the United States Coast Guard Light List as light number 2333.[1][2][3]