Niagara County has two historic Lake Ontario lighthouses. Collecting miniatures of America's lighthouses has become quite a popular activity in recent years. A number of companies have created different versions of nearly a hundred lighthouses and market their efforts at costs of from $20 up to over $100 per item. Collectors hope that as the manufacturers "retire" the lighthouses from their stock that the items will appreciate in value. Regardless of any speculation about appreciation in value, it is interesting to look at two miniatures of the Niagara County lighthouses.
In the photograph below the miniature on the left is the Fort Niagara lighthouse. It was manufactured in 1991 by "Harbor Lights" and is engraved as #2422 of 5500 produced. It is an example of one of the higher priced lighthouse miniatures on the market. It sold for about $100. It's value today is unknown. On the right is a miniature of the Thirty Mile Point lighthouse at Somerset. It is one of the cheapest miniatures produced under the brand name "Spoontiques." It is engraved with #9048 but it is unknown how many have been produced. It was purchased new in 2000 for just $22. It is made in China. Can you notice the differences?
The first Fort Niagara Light was established on the root of the Fort or ''Castle," - in 1781 or 1782. Probably fueled by whale oil, it was the earliest lighthouse on the Great Lakes. While it survived the intense battles of the War of 1812, it was removed from service in 1814 and not replaced. The federal government reestablished a light at Fort Niagara in 1823. Erected atop the mess house, it consisted of a squat pedestal arid lamp The existing stone light pictured above went into service in 1872. Situated on the riverbank just south of the fort, the fifty toot octagonal tower (since extended by an eleven foot brick watchroom) remains air active light kept by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse was constructed of hand carved limestone transported by schooner from Chaumont Bay. More than sixty feet high, with a circular steel stairway, the tower offers a panoramic view across the lake to Canada. The beam from its 2000 pound Fresnel lens could be seen from a distance of sixteen miles. Eventually, the keeper's house was converted to accommodate two families, each having a very busy 24-hour shift. In 1935, the Coast Guard assumed ownership and maintained the light for several years. With the erosion of the sandbar however, the need for the light had ended; on December 17,1958, the light was dismantled and the doors closed. A simple steel skeleton structure was erected nearby to replace the once imposing Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse.
Today it is the property of New York State and located on the grounds of Golden Hill State Park. It is open for public tour, Memorial Day through Labor Day.
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