Page Updated: December 11, 2023
Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse
Charlotte-Genesee Keepers House & Lighthouse - Rochester NY
Built in 1822 and restored by the Lighthouse Historical Society in 1984, the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse on Lake Ontario. Tours are offered May through October - Friday, Saturday & Sunday.
The narrow 40 foot spiral staircase leads to a rung ladder leading to a hole in the ceiling that visitors must crawl through to reach the lens room.
We took the tour at this lighthouse and found it one of the best lighthouse tours we’ve done around the United States. A tour guide escorted just the two of us stopping intermittently to give us facts about the tower.
The brick floor of the lighthouse is original, and the original walls were reinforced with a second outer wall.
Due to the narrow stairs and tiny lens room, tours are always small.
The light from the lens room is so bright, shades are placed on the mainland side to shield homes and business from its intensity.
Before the installation of the jetty below, the Ontario shore line reached the train tracks in the photo below; much closer than it is today.
The entry garden to the grounds is marked as an Honorary Peace Garden. In it, visitors find interpretive signs detailing locations of additional lighthouses lining Lake Ontario, the relation of the War of 1812 to the area, and the original orientation of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse before the construction of jetties.
The keepers house is a museum that is still a work in progress. Items pertinent to maritime travel and the history of the area are found throughout several rooms; including cannonballs from the War of 1812.
Terrific location for regional and maritime history.
Highly recommend.
-b&b
Rochester
Ontario Beach Park
