{"nrhp_refnum":"00001468","name":"Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Lake Ontario, 0.5 mi. N of Oswego R.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Oswego","county":"Oswego County","state":"NY","lat":43.473535378000065,"lon":-76.51679041699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-12-01","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Engineering"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A steel lighthouse built in 1934 at the northeastern end of a stone breakwater in Lake Ontario, about one-half mile north of the mouth of the Oswego River in Oswego, New York. It sits on a concrete caisson and marks the entrance to the outer harbor.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an exceptionally intact example of twentieth-century lighthouse engineering and design under Criterion C. It replaced an earlier harbor light and is tied to ship navigation on Lake Ontario and the Port of Oswego. It also serves as a visual landmark linking the city to its maritime traditions.","narrative":"Standing at the end of a stone breakwater about half a mile out in Lake Ontario, this 1934 steel lighthouse guards the outer harbor of Oswego, New York. It rests on a massive concrete caisson rising 17 feet above lake level, with flared walls to turn waves away from the deck. Above sit a one-story, hipped-roof living quarters for the crew and a three-story tower topped by a round lantern with a conical roof. The Office of the Superintendent of Lighthouses in Buffalo designed it in 1932-1933, and funding arrived in 1934. It replaced an older harbor light removed during a major harbor enlargement. The structure was engineered to withstand high winds, heavy surf and ice, and its interior kept finishes typical of modest 1930s houses. Six Coast Guardsmen died in a boat accident here in 1942. Automated in 1967, it received a new light in 1995, while the original lens is displayed at a local maritime museum. It was listed for its engineering and design.","period_of_significance":"1934","architect_builder":"unknown (designed by the Office of the Superintendent of Lighthouses, Tenth District, Buffalo)","architectural_style":"OTHER / lighthouse","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Automated in 1967; the original Fresnel lens was replaced in 1995 with a modern light, and the lighthouse is otherwise essentially unaltered. Its function is still listed as a lighthouse.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:50.431743-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/00001468.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00001468/4ac6354da4-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00001468/4ac6354da4-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":null,"credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OswegoLighthouse2.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OswegoLighthouse2.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75320861","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswego_Harbor_West_Pierhead_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7108231"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/oswego-county/oswego-west-pierhead-lighthouse-00001468/"}