{"nrhp_refnum":"07001191","name":"Buffalo Harbor South Entrance Light","other_names":["Buffalo Harbor South Entrance Light Station","Buffalo South Side Light Station"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Stony Pt. end of Buffalo Harbor S breakwater","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lackawanna","county":"Erie County","state":"NY","lat":42.83341081000003,"lon":-78.86730055499999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2007-11-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Maritime History","Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A lighthouse station at Stony Point on the Buffalo Harbor south breakwater in Lackawanna, Erie County, New York, established in 1903 to mark the southern entrance to Buffalo Harbor. It has a cast iron tower, a concrete fog signal building and an L-shaped concrete pier.","why_significant":"The form treats the property as a surviving Lighthouse Board-era light station that guided vessels into Buffalo's outer harbor. Its three historic resources are described as very much the same as when built, apart from removed equipment. The station was the last manned light station in Buffalo Harbor, automated in 1962.","narrative":"Buffalo Harbor South Entrance Light sits at Stony Point in Lackawanna, New York, on the south breakwater of Buffalo Harbor in Lake Erie. Established in 1903, it marked the southern entry into the outer harbor. The property has three historic parts: a 43-foot conical cast iron tower with a red-glazed lantern, a one-story concrete fog signal building with a barrel-vault roof and sound reflector, and an L-shaped concrete pier that carries both buildings. An enclosed passageway links the tower and the fog signal building. The original fourth order Fresnel lens, made in Paris, began operating in September 1903. The optic was removed in 1993, and a modern solar-powered beacon on a steel pole now serves as the navigation aid. Keepers lived in a separate duplex onshore, and three keepers were assigned from 1918 until automation in 1962. It was the last manned light station in Buffalo Harbor. The U.S. Coast Guard owns the property, which is reached by boat or across adjoining steel mill land.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"No Style","criteria":[],"status_note":"The optic was discontinued and removed in 1993. A modern automated beacon on the pier still operates. The fog signal building and tower show deterioration, with roof holes and corroded metalwork.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:54.095014-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_AK/07001191.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75325017","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Harbor_South_Entrance_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4985746"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/erie-county/buffalo-harbor-south-entrance-light-07001191/"}