1822: Original tower and keeper's house was constructed on 3/4 acres of land purchased from Mehitabel Hincher for $400.00. The contractor was Ashabel Simmons, and the structure was built by William Carroll for $3,301.00. Michael Cook, a mason with 12 children, came to charlotte from the Hudson Valley to work on the lighthouse. The lighthouse was originally whitewashed. You can still see the whitewash inside the tower today. The original light was composed of 10 Argand lamps with reflectors using whale oil. The keeper lived in a two-room stone cabin shown on the right. This is a drawing of what it might have originally look like.
1853: The original fourth order Fresnel lens was installed in the original tower to replace ten Winslow-Lewis lamps which were is two banks of 5 lamps. Here George V. Codding, US Lighthouse Service, is at the right, and Inspector Ralph Tinkum is in the center. Photo from June Codding collection.
1881: A cast iron lighthouse was build on the west pier by J.W. Dennis of Buffalo at a cost of $17,000. A fog bell and striking mechanism was included. It was dismantled in March of 1884 and moved to Cleveland, OH.
1884: A wooden frame lighthouse 28 feethigh was erected. The lantern room from the lighthouse on the hill was moved to the west pier lighthouse on April 1, 1884. In 1893 the fog bell was replaced by a steam fog signal. When the pier was extended 500 feet in 1896, the tower was moved to the new pier head. When George Codding once had to stay overnight in the tower when it was very cold, he burn some floor boards to keep warm. Later the building was torn down and just the tower remained.
Coast Guard Photo of West Pier at the Mouth of the Genesee River is on the left. On the right is a photo from June Codding's collection.
Post Card Image of West Pier
1889: How the Lighthouse looked with Wooden Walk Way and no Lantern Room.:
1890: A steam fog whistle, costing $4,300.00, replaces the fog bell. A compressed air system was installed for the fog horn. The fog bell is now at the U.S. Coast Guard Station across the river.
1902: A wooden lighthouse was built on the east pier. It had a red fixed lens and was 26' tall. The lens from the west pier lighthouse was moved to that tower. Can you see the curtains hung in the lantern room? The tower was dismantled in 1947.
Coast Guard Photo of East Pier @ mouth of Genesee River.
1936: Photo of Keepers House and Tower.
1956 - Students from Charlotte High School Save the Lighthouse from Removal.
1936: This drawing was commissioned by the Director of U.S. Department of the Interior, National Parks Service, Branch of Plans and Designs. The dimensions do not seem to be the same as the original structure which there are no actual drawings. We hope to provide more detailed information in the near future.
1994: A white & red cylinder lighthouse was erected on the west piper. The lens from the 1931 tower was mounted on the tower. The old red tower was moved to the Rochester Gas and Electric property at Russell Station to the west in Greece where it is today.
