Old Fort Niagara Lighthouse

Old Fort Niagara Lighthouse

On a recent trip out east we made a stop at Old Fort Niagara lighthouse.  This lighthouse is located about 15 miles north of Niagara Falls in New York State.  It is on the Niagara River at the south shore of Lake Ontario.  We found the lighthouse on the edge of the parking lot of what is now the Visitors Center for Old Fort Niagara.

The original lighthouse on the site was constructed in 1782 on top of the "French Castle"  In 1872 the current lighthouse was established.  It is octagonal in shape and has a black lantern.  It is constructed of limestone and I found it to be one of the most attractive lighthouses I have visited.

Here is a view of Old Fort Niagara that spans a history of more than 300 years.  At different times in the history of the fort it was held by the French, the British and the USA.  The last armed conflict at the fort was the War of 1812. It was used as a training center for American soldiers throughout both World Wars.  The last army units were withdrawn in 1963.  Today it is held by the Coast Guard.

Old Fort Niagara Postcard
by lighthouseenthusiast

Statue of Liberty- Is it a Lighthouse?

The Statue of Liberty is a much recognized symbol of American freedom.  But did you know that for a few years in it's early existence it also served as a lighthouse and was overseen by the lighthouse board.  

The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States of America by  the people of France.  It is modeled after the Roman goddess of freedom, Libertas.  The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886 with much fanfare and a huge fireworks display.  

The plans for the lighting of the statue were not complete at that time and through much trial and error the lighthouse was finally lit and used as a navigational aid to ships.  It was placed under the direction of the lighthouse board and officially served as a lighthouse from November of 1886 to March of 1902.

I have seen the statue several times but for me the most exciting time was this past November when our cruise ship was entering New York harbor at the end of the cruise.  It was 6 am  and I was just opening my eyes when I looked out our balcony door and saw the beautiful sight you see pictured above.  I jumped out of bed, grabbed my camera and was able to take several shots of the statue before it  move out of my line of sight.  It was a very moving experience for me.

After we passed the statue, I was able to take a few photos of the New York skyline lit up in the early morning sky.

Statue of Liberty by mbgphoto
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Sandy Hook Lighthouse

Sandy Hook lighthouse is found at the northern end of the New Jersey shore.  It is located near the entrance to the New York harbor.  This made it  important in protecting ships going in and out of the harbor for more than 200 years.  Sandy Hook lighthouse was first put into service in 1764 and as such is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the USA.

We visited Sandy Hook during a trip to visit lighthouses along the New Jersey shore.  The lighthouse had a small museum and gift shop in the keepers house.  The lighthouse itself is only open for visitors to climb on a scheduled and limited basis since it is still a working lighthouse.
Sandy Hook lighthouse stands on the grounds of historic Fort Hancock.

I spent some time walking around the lighthouse and looking for the best angle to shoot my photos.  I like this shot of the top of the lighthouse through the trees.  You can see the rough stone and the angled walls in the photo.
I have written more about my visits to New Jersey lighthouses on my Hubpages Mbgphoto