Sodus Point Lighthouses

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About The Site

Sodus Point sketch

Sodus Bay, roughly halfway between Rochester and Oswego, was long considered an excellent location for exporting products such as grain, lumber and coal from New York and Pennsylvania to Lake Ontario.

In 1824, construction began on the first Sodus Bay Lighthouse. The conical stone tower was similar to the original structures at Oswego and Charlotte-Genesee. The original tower and keeper's residence fell into disrepair after the Civil War, and were replaced in 1870. The new 45-foot limestone tower and keeper's residence housed a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The wooden portion of the residence and the porch were later additions.

In 1834, piers were built at the mouth of Sodus Bay, and a beacon installed at the end of the pier. This beacon was replaced in 1858. A permanent beacon was installed in 1870, improved in 1901, and replaced by the current 45-foot tall white pierhead light in 1938. An inner pier light was built in 1895, but later torn down. The limestone shore light of 1870 was decommissioned in 1901. From 1901 to 1984, the keeper's residence housed personnel maintaining the pierhead light.

In 1984, the Old Sodus Point Lighthouse was leased to the Sodus Bay Historical Society, which maintains the lighthouse for tours. The lighthouse is now known as the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum. The keeper's residence houses the maritime museum, gift shop and library. There is a picnic area surrounding the lighthouse, and the foundation of the original lighthouse and keeper's residence are marked. The 1870 tower still houses the original Fresnel lens. The Sodus Bay Historical Society holds several outdoor events here in the summer, including a flea market, 5K race, concerts, and cookouts. The Sodus Outer Light is now automated, but still operational - its red lantern still guides vessels into Sodus Bay.

References (see links)

Seaway Trail Lighthouses (2nd Edition), Tinney, Burdette-Watkins, p. 27
Lighthouses of the Seaway Trail (video)

Select an image to enlarge

Note Rear Addition

Sodus Outer (Pierhead) Light

The Outer Light and 1824 Light Foundation

Front View

In the Museum

The Fourth Order Fresnel Lens

Stairs to the Lantern Room

1929 Postcard (courtesy of Gertrude Shanahan)

Directions: Old Sodus Light (Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum): From Route 104, go north on Route 14 to the village of Sodus Point. Turn right (east) on Bay Street, then north on Ontario Street. Follow Ontario Street to the end. The lighthouse, gift shop, and library are open Tuesday through Sunday (May and October: from 10AM - 4PM; June through September: 10AM-5PM). Call (315) 483-4936 for details. (Sodus Outer Light is visible from here as well.) For more information, see links.

Sodus Outer Light: From Old Sodus Light, drive back down Ontario Street, turn left (east) on Bay Street, left (north) on Grieg and right (east) on Wickham. The pier is at the end of Wickham. You can walk to the end of the pier to view the lighthouse.

Sodus Bay Historical Society: 7606 N. Ontario St., Sodus Point, NY 14555 (September 2006)