![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/660076229876f047314c33cd/ca034c5d-caf3-4ef3-be35-9ccd8bf7fad8/history_splash.jpg)
Lighthouse History
TIBBETTS POINT LIGHTHOUSE
Capt. John Tibbetts of Troy, NY gave 3 acres of his 600 acres to the Federal Government to establish a Lighthouse.
1827 : The first lighthouse was constructed. It was a rectangular wooden tower, 30 feet tall, with oil-powered lamps. The first keeper’s house was also built.
1854 : The first tower was replaced by the present circular one, which stands 59 feet tall. This also marked the installation of the Fresnel Lens, which is still in operation today.
1896 : A steam-powered foghorn was added.
1906 : A second keeper’s house was constructed.
1927 : Fog whistle was replaced with an air-diaphone operated by a diesel engine with automatically timed blasts.
1930 : The oil-powered lamp was replaced with an electric bulb.
1939 : The U.S. Coast Guard assumed lighthouse duties.
1981 : The lighthouse was fully automated, and keepers were no longer needed.
1984 : Lighthouse quarters became a Youth Hostel.
1988 : Tibbetts Point Lighthouse Historical Society is formed.
1991 : A big year for Tibbetts Point Lighthouse. Not only did the Town of Cape Vincent acquire it from the Dept. of the Interior, but the Lighthouse Quarters became Hosteling International (AYH).
1993 : The Visitors' Center was built by the Town of Cape Vincent.
1998 : The newly renovated Foghorn building was opened to the public.
2006 : The pavilion was added to the property.
2014 : The youth hostels were closed.
2024 : Shoreline restoration completed.
Between 1988 and today, the Tibbetts Point Historical Society initiated and funded many projects to maintain and enhance this historic site.
THE STORY
The Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, located in Cape Vincent NY, is strategically located at the end of the Great Lakes system on Lake Ontario and the beginning of the St. Lawrence River.
The property consists of 3 acres of land that was donated by Capt. John Tibbetts of Troy, NY in the early 1820's to the Federal Government, specifically for the purpose of erecting a Lighthouse.
The original tower was built in 1827 of wood and was rectangular. Its height was only 30 feet. In 1854 the first tower was replaced by a 59-foot circular one built of brick and a mixture of concrete.
With the new tower in 1854, came a new Fresnel lens, which is still in operation today. This is the only Fresnel lens still in operation on Lake Ontario today. Fresnel Lens were installed in many lighthouses during this timeframe and had varying sizes. Tibbetts Point Lighthouse is equipped with a Fourth Order Fresnel Lens. The unique construction of the Fresnel Lens was invented and manufactured in France, and the light from our Fresnel Lens can be seen 16 miles out into Lake Ontario making it a very visible navigational beacon.
The first lamps were fueled by whale oil. In the mid-1850's the Government changed to lard oil. The late 1800's the switch was made to crude oil – Texas Tea; then kerosene. To fuel the lamps, lighthouse keepers needed to climb the many steps to fill the lamps and keep them burning all night long. The refined kerosene burned as a gas that extended the light’s range. As electricity became available, Tibbetts Point was electrified. The light was automated in 1981 and lighthouse keepers were no longer needed to keep the light burning.
A foghorn building was added and put into service in 1896. It was initially powered by a steam engine. It was replaced with an air-diaphone in 1927, operated by a diesel engine which stores the air in air tanks that can be seen on display today. A recording of the foghorn can also be heard.
There is a telescope stand located at the point of land. This allows a panoramic view of the area. Points of interest are marked on the railing.
In 1991 the property was acquired by the Town of Cape Vincent, and is jointly maintained by the Town and the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse Historical Society.
Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, besides being designated a historical landmark, is still an active aid to navigation maintained by the United States Coast Guard. As a result, access to the Lighthouse Tower is not permitted.
We encourage you to stop into our Visitor Center. Besides the clean restrooms being located there, we have several exhibits and artifacts you may find of interest.
Our grounds are open 24/7, 365 days a year. The Visitor Center and Museum are open seasonally based on volunteer availability. Please check our Hours of Operation.
Best of all - its all FREE! Come Join Us
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS
Dating back to 1827, Tibbetts Point has a rich history of lighthouse keepers, assistant keepers, and US Coast Guard personnel. Click on the sections below to learn more about the dedicated men and women who have kept the light burning throughout the years.
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1831 - 1846 : Nelson B. Williams
1846 - 1849 : Jonathan Madison
1853 - 1861 : Henry Cunningham
1861 - 1865 : William Collins II
1865 - 1885 : Adam Cratsenburg
1885 - 1898 : David H. Montonna
1898 - 1937 : William E. Montonna
1955 - 1957 : Howard M. Seaton
1957 - 1960 : William C. Pless
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At Least 1950 : William D. Meakin
Delores Drogi
1960 - 1961 : Arthur L. McDowell
1961 / 1964 - 1967 : William E. Sweeney
1961 - 1961 : Raymond A. Whipple
1962 - 1965 : Daniel L. Foster
1962 - 1963 : James G. Skinner
1962 - 1965 : Donald E. Sigler
1966 - 1967 : Reuben H. Howard
1968 - 1968 : Joseph K. Gosciak
1968 - 1969 : Joseph E. Beslanovits
![Adam Cratsenberg : Age 80](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/660076229876f047314c33cd/79734faf-959f-4cac-9bf8-50a01e743a4d/Adam+I+Cratsenberg++Age+80.jpg)
![Carl Williams](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/660076229876f047314c33cd/785157e9-38fb-4476-a66f-a7ba9ccc13b1/Carl+Williams+Lightkeeper.jpg)
![crew_1969.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/660076229876f047314c33cd/45a3b344-04e7-4736-b3e5-7cf42ae1e24e/crew_1969.jpg)
![Edwin G. Ward (1919) : US Army](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/660076229876f047314c33cd/1d4490b9-ba86-4050-b45d-b2cbfc2b37cb/Edwin+G+Ward+1919+US+Army.jpg)
![Edwin G. Ward (1920's)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/660076229876f047314c33cd/bd97ac6d-93cd-4502-b165-07f4373f0195/Edwin+G+Ward+1920s.jpg)
FRESNEL LENS
The Fresnel Lenses were invented by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel in 1821. Tibbetts Point’s 4th order Fresnel Lens was installed in 1854 and still operates today. The Tibbetts Point Lens is the last functioning Fresnel lens on Lake Ontario.
How it Works
(Click Here for Fresnel Lens Diagram)
Fresnel lenses focus nearly 98% of the rays produced by a central light source into a bright beam of concentrated light that can be seen from more than twenty miles out to sea. A Fresnel lens creates a bright beam of light using circular glass prisms set in a metal frame. These prisms change the direction that light is traveling in so all the light exits the lens in the same horizontal direction. The prisms do this by refracting (or bending) light and reflecting it as well.
Refraction is the scientific word that is used to describe how light is bent as it enters or exits a dense transparent material (or medium) like glass at an angle other than 90 degrees.
Reflection occurs when light bounces off the surface of smooth, shiny material like metal, glass, or water. Reflection can occur on both the interior and exterior surface of a transparent object. The reflection of a mountain range on the surface of a crystal-clear alpine lake, and the reflection of fish on the underside of the lakes surface are both great examples of external and internal reflection.
Fresnel lenses often use three types of prisms to focus light; catadioptric prisms, dioptric prisms, and convex prisms. Click on the link at the top of this section to see a diagram on how each lens works independently and together in a Fresnel lens.
Many lighthouses are still equipped with their historic Fresnel lenses, while others have had their original optic removed and now have a new modern-day electric beacon installed. Although introduced more than 200 years ago during the Industrial Revolution, Fresnel lens technology is still in use today. Prisms can be found in car headlights, in surgical lasers, and even in a spacecraft.
Special thanks to: The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and Museum, FL