{"nrhp_refnum":"93000873","name":"Valcour Island Lighthouse","other_names":["Bluff Point Lighthouse"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Valcour Island, Lake Champlain","address_restricted":false,"city":"Peru","county":"Clinton County","state":"NY","lat":44.62348650400003,"lon":-73.43149063899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1993-08-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Transportation","Architecture","Maritime History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Second Empire style lighthouse built in 1874 on Bluff Point, on the western shore of Valcour Island in Lake Champlain, town of Peru, Clinton County, New York. The one-and-a-half-acre parcel also holds a clapboard shed and a privy.","why_significant":"It is significant under Criterion A for its link to maritime transportation and the post-Civil War growth of commercial traffic on Lake Champlain. Under Criterion C it illustrates the national trend of stylish, centrally planned lighthouse design in the 1860s and 1870s. It retains very high exterior and interior integrity and is the last decommissioned navigational aid on Lake Champlain in the public domain.","narrative":"Perched on Bluff Point on the western shore of Valcour Island, this lighthouse was built between 1871 and 1874 to guide shipping on Lake Champlain. It is a square, two-story building of dark blue limestone topped by a cedar-shingled mansard roof, with a light tower rising from the west side. Inside, the original floor plan, built-in cupboards, wainscoting and plank floors survive. The station was established as commerce on the lake grew after the Civil War, driven by shipments of iron ore, lumber and other goods, and as local politicians pressed for better beacons. Its Second Empire design reflects a period when a central lighthouse board promoted stylish, coordinated designs. The light was visible for 13 miles. An automated steel tower replaced it in 1929, and it was sold in 1931. New York State bought it in 1986. It is listed for its maritime history and its architecture, and for its unusually intact condition.","period_of_significance":"1874 - 1929","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late Victorian/Second Empire","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Decommissioned after a steel tower with an automated light replaced it in 1929; sold into private hands in 1931 and purchased by New York State (NYS/DEC) in 1986, with a conservation easement held by the Clinton County Historical Association. Current function listed as vacant/not in use.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:50.292242-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/93000873.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/93000873/73ecf07a24-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/93000873/73ecf07a24-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Mwanner (talk) (Uploads)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bluff_Point_Light_on_Valcour_Island.jpeg\" rel=\"noopener\">Mwanner (talk) (Uploads)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bluff_Point_Light_on_Valcour_Island.jpeg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75316948","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluff_Point_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4930662"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/clinton-county/valcour-island-lighthouse-93000873/"}