Point Gratiot Lighthouse Complex
Why it's listed
Point Gratiot Lighthouse Complex occupies a point of high land jutting into Lake Erie at the southwestern end of Dunkirk harbor. Built in 1875, it includes a sixty-one-foot stone tower with a brick core, a two-story brick keeper's dwelling joined to the tower by a passageway, a riveted sheet-iron oil house, a wooden barn and a gatepost shaped like a lighthouse. The dwelling is described as vernacular High Victorian Gothic. Inside the lantern, a third-order Fresnel lens first installed in the earlier tower in 1857 still functions. The site replaced a lighthouse put up in 1826, and was built as Dunkirk's factories and farm shipping increased demands on the harbor. In the nineteenth century its light was the most conspicuous on the southern shore of Lake Erie, serving both coastal traffic and vessels approaching the harbor. The exterior remains nearly unchanged from that period.
Significance in brief: The 1875 lighthouse replaced an earlier light of 1826 and was the most conspicuous coastal light on the southern shore of Lake Erie in the nineteenth century. It also guided vessels into Dunkirk harbor, which served the city's industrial and agricultural shipping. The keeper's dwelling is cited as a fine example of vernacular High Victorian Gothic architecture.
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 79001568, listed December 18, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Sycamore Rd., Dunkirk |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | December 18, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001568 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular High Victorian Gothic (keeper's dwelling) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition and largely unaltered since the nineteenth century. The light is still functioning, with a part-time light keeper, and the barn is used for storage. |
| Acreage | 3.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.49379, -79.35388 (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 79001568.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5315389
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.