Sodus Point Lighthouse
Why it's listed
Sodus Point Lighthouse is a limestone light tower with an attached keeper's dwelling on the Lake Ontario shore, six-tenths of a mile west of the entrance to Sodus Bay. It was built in 1870-71 to replace a conical stone lighthouse erected in 1825 and demolished in 1870. The forty-five-foot square tower has an iron balustrade, a circular iron stairway and a polygonal iron-framed lantern. The two-and-a-half-story dwelling was extended in 1892 with a frame wing. The light served commercial shipping, guiding timber and grain vessels into Sodus Bay, until 1901, when a stronger fourth-order Fresnel lens at the harbor beacon made the bluff light obsolete. The keeper's house stayed occupied by the tenders of the harbor beacon and now serves as the residence of the local Coast Guard commander. It is one of seven surviving Lake Ontario lighthouses in New York State and a typical example of Great Lakes stone lighthouse design.
Significance in brief: It is the second lighthouse on the site since the Sodus light station was established in 1825. The nomination describes it as a typical 'lake-coast' light illustrating one phase in the history of Great Lakes navigation. It guided timber and grain vessels into Sodus Bay and so supported the economic growth of the lake region.
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 76001288, listed October 8, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Off NY 14 at Lake Ontario, Sodus Point |
|---|---|
| County | Wayne County |
| Listed | October 8, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001288 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1871-1901 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Communications |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The light was discontinued in 1901; the attached dwelling is still used as a residence for the local Coast Guard commander. A 1981 letter notes reported deterioration. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 43.27367, -76.98628 (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 76001288.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7553443
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.