Barcelona Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage
Also known as: Portland Harbor Lighthouse and Dwelling House
Why it's listed
Overlooking Lake Erie on East Lake Road in Westfield, this pair of stone buildings once served the harbor at Portland, now Barcelona. Congress appropriated $5,000 in 1828 for a lighthouse, and Judge Thomas B. Campbell built the tower and keeper's dwelling for $3,456.70. The tower is circular, forty feet to its platform, with coursed rubble walls, an octagonal roof and a spiral stair carried on a single forty-foot timber. The cottage is a one-and-a-half-story stone building with a gable roof and three dormers. The first keeper arrived in May 1829, and the light operated until 1859. In 1829 the tower was lit with natural gas drawn from a nearby spring and carried through wooden pipes, which is why it is believed to be the first public building lit that way. It is also considered the oldest surviving lighthouse of its type on the Great Lakes, and it remains a local landmark.
Significance in brief: The lighthouse is believed to be the oldest surviving structure of its kind on the Great Lakes and the first public building lit by natural gas. In 1829 gas tapped from a nearby spring and carried in wooden pipes lit it, a step toward the gaslight era. It also marks the harbor's role in Great Lakes shipping.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000825, listed April 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | East Lake Rd., Westfield |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | April 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000825 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1829) |
| Architect / builder | Judge Thomas B. Campbell (contractor who erected the lighthouse and dwelling) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair; the lighthouse operated until 1859 and is now a local landmark. A later grant application describes repair work and says it will remain open to the public. |
| Coordinates | 42.34111, -79.59475 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000825.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4859853
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.