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