30 Mile Point Lighthouse

30 Mile Point Lighthouse (HM1EKJ)

Location: Eatonton, NY 14012 Niagara County
Buy New York State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 43° 22.49', W 78° 29.165'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 543 views
Inscription
30-Mile Point Lighthouse was built in 1875 and was lit for the first time on April 27, 1876. The lighthouse was built to protect ships on Lake Ontario from a shallow sandbar the extended from 30-Mile Point. A number of historic shipwrecks occurred not far from here before the lighthouse was constructed. The United States Lighthouse Service operated the lighthouse until July 1, 1939, when the United States Coast Guard took over the administration of America's lighthouses.

This third-order fresnel lens magnified a simple lard oil or kerosene flame bright enough that it could be seen up to 16 miles away on a clear night. The one-ton lens stood six feet tall. A system of counterweights and cables, much like those in a grandfather clock, slowly rotated the lens, making the light flash periodically.

In the early 1930s, municipal electricity was extended to 30-Mile Point. The tower's kerosene burner was replaced by a 500-watt lightbulb pictured here. The frenel lens continued to magnify the light.

Lighthouse keeper Glenn Seeley stands on the porch in his keeper's uniform ca. 1903. The keeper's most important duty was ensuring that the light remained lit. The keeper and his assistant alternated 24-hour shifts, checking the light every three hours and making a weather log every four hours. Other duties included winding the lens's clockwork mechanism, filing the oil reservoir, trimming the light's wick, and polishing the lens.

30-Mile Point is the northernmost point of Lake Ontario's south shore, making it an important landmark when navigating the lake. All lighthouses had a characteristic that allowed seaman to identify them. The characteristic included the light's color, the frequency on its flash if it has one, and any fog signal that the lighthouse might have. Map modified from a larger map of the 10th Lighthouse District, in the 1894 Annual Report of the Light-House Board Annual Report. Courtesy of the New York State Library.

30-Mile Point lighthouse as it appeared from the lake in 1986. Photograph by Lorraine Wayner, Town of Somerset Historian.
Details
HM NumberHM1EKJ
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, October 7th, 2014 at 9:12am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17T E 703659 N 4805510
Decimal Degrees43.37483333, -78.48608333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 43° 22.49', W 78° 29.165'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds43° 22' 29.40" N, 78° 29' 9.90" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)716
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 122 Unnamed Road, Eatonton NY 14012, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?