Tibbetts Point Lighthouse - Cape Vincent, New York

Marking the point where Lake Ontario meets the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent, New York, you will find the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse. The Tibbetts Point Lighthouse has been guiding ships through this passageway on the border between New York State and Ontario for centuries. Initially built in 1827, it was Captain John Tibbetts of Troy, New York who had deeded 3 acres to the United States government and a lighthouse was then constructed on the land. In 1854, the original lighthouse tower was replaced with the present day lighthouse that we have today. It was at the time the first Fresnel lens was installed at the lighthouse, and that lens is used at the lighthouse even today. In 1896, a fog whistle was added, which ramped up necessary safety to boaters and ships at this point where lake meets river. After lighthouse keepers are replaced by the United States Coast Guard, the lighthouse was operated by Coast Guard personnel from 1939 to 1981, when the lighthouse became automated.

Nowadays, the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse is open to the public seasonally, from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. While the lighthouse tower itself is only open for tours for pre-registered groups, you can walk around the grounds to see the lighthouse, the fog signal building, and even spend the night in the lighthouse keeper's quarters, as the house is open as a hostel. I've made a few visits to this spot in Cape Vincent where the land ends and am in awe of my surroundings with each visit.

Driving up to see the lighthouse. You will follow a road that hugs the St. Lawrence River on your way, and if you are lucky, you may even see a ship or two.

Fog signal building.

Misspelled historical marker.

The beginning of the St. Lawrence River. You will be able to see Wolfe Island in Ontario pretty easily.

Light keeper's house.

A placard showing the view from the top of the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse. Unfortunately, I have not been able to go to the top of the tower yet.

A brief history of the lighthouse.

Lighthouse tower and the fog signal building.

Light keeper's house.

Lake Ontario.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce - Tibbetts Point Lighthouse
Lighthouse Friends - Tibbetts Point Lighthouse
Visit 1000 Islands - Tibbetts Point Lighthouse

Update Log:
March 7, 2019 - Posted original article to Unlocking New York.
September 10, 2021 - Transferred article from Unlocking New York to Gribblenation.

Comments

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

Massena Center Suspension Bridge

The Massena Center Bridge, also known as the Holton D. Robinson Bridge, has had quite the tumultuous history. Situated on the Grasse River just east of Massena, New York in the hamlet of Massena Center, the Massena Center Bridge is a reminder of the efforts the community has made in order to connect over the river. The first and only other known bridge to be built at Massena Center was built in 1832, but that bridge was never long for this world. During the spring of 1833, the Grasse River dammed itself due to an ice dam, flooded and lifted the bridge off its foundation, destroying the bridge in the process. The floods were frequent in the river during the spring, often backing up the river from Hogansburg and past Massena Center, but not to nearby Massena. After the first bridge disappeared, local residents had to resort to traveling seven miles west to Massena to cross the next closest bridge, and that was no easy task for a horse and buggy. However, it was many decades befo...

The Dead Man's Curve of Interstate 90 and Innerbelt Freeway in Cleveland

"Dead Man's Curve" refers to the transition ramp Interstate 90 takes between Cleveland Memorial Shoreway onto the Innerbelt Freeway in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Said curve includes a sharp transition between the two freeways which is known for a high rate of accidents. Currently the curve (not officially named) has a 35 MPH advisory speed and numerous safety features intended to mitigate crashes. When the Interstate System was first conceived during 1956, Interstate 90 was intended to use the entirety Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and connect to the Northwest Freeway through Lakewood. The Innerbelt Freeway was initially planned as the northernmost segment of Interstate 71. The extension of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway west of Edgewater Park was never constructed which led to Interstate 90 being routed through the Innerbelt Freeway. Part 1; the history of Cleveland's Innerbelt Freeway and Deadman's Curve The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signe...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog