Lighthouse Point Park

BUFFALO WEATHER

One of the oldest structures on the Great Lakes, the 1833 Buffalo Light is a beautifully resilient monument to Buffalo’s maritime history. Built in 1833, the 61 foot octagonal limestone tower, capped with an 8-window gallery and steel and copper lantern, replaced the original 1818 light, and serviced the bustling north harbor for 81 years before it was decommissioned. Like most traditional lighthouses, it has since been replaced by modern beacons and navigational aids, but its role in Buffalo’s shipping history cannot be understated. Dark for 73 years and rehabilitated in 1962 and then again in 1985, it has stood as a symbol of Buffalo’s waterfront, now ripe for revitalization and tourism.

Lighthouse Point Park is carved out of the Buffalo U. S. Coast Guard station, on the south end of the Buffalo River outlet, at the end of Fuhrmann Blvd. This road, as well as much of the land at the point, began as a series of breakwaters and piers to protect the harbor. Sand and silt deposits piled up after storms and formed solid ground. Later on, landfill was used to extend the property of the Coast Guard base and create a harbor for its ships.

From the road, the park begins where the first lighthouse and keeper’s quarters were built in 1818. Now it’s just a grassy area with an open pavilion and a few historic markers. There are plans to build a visitor center here. The park then takes visitors along the stone pier, originally constructed by private citizens in 1919, and then rebuilt after a storm nearly destroyed it in 1844. Along the way, beautifully designed plaques describe the history of the pier, and boats zip back and forth along the mouth of the Buffalo River. Across the water is the Erie Basin Marina, which gets a lot more visitor traffic than this side does. The path here is narrow, as it runs along the Coast Guard base. Signs are posted to warn people not to trespass.

The path ends at the base of the light, on a jagged and difficult to walk on limestone foundation. The section of the point here is not very large at all, and backing up to get a good view, or photo, of the large tower proves to be difficult. The park surrounding the light has several historic and information markers as well as some artifacts strewn about the property, such as the 1903 Bottle Light from the south harbor in Lackawanna, an anchor, and fog bell.  The tower itself is in excellent shape. Tours, which run typically on summer days, will take you up into the tower and into the gallery. It’s a tight fit and the steel stairs are steep, but well worth a look. From the top, you can see the Lackawanna wind farm to the south, and downtown Buffalo to the northeast. If the Light is closed to visitors, the far end of the point is a decent spot to check out more of the Erie Basin Marina pier, the harbor breakwaters, as well as the Buffalo Water Intake and Horseshoe Reef lights.

Visiting the light only takes a few minutes, and with Times Beach Nature Preserve and Wilkeson Point Park within walking distance, you can easily make a day of it. The Buffalo waterfront is changing from its former industrial past to a modern tourist destination, and the re-opening of the historic 1833 Light is easily one of the biggest, and most meaningful steps in its progression.

Fishing is not allowed from this property.

Penobscot-Morania Collision

What is considered the worst disaster in Buffalo Harbor history took place on the Buffalo River along this pier on the night of October 21, 1951. The outbound bulk freighter Penobscot collided with the gasoline barge Morania, and exploded, taking 11 lives.

The gasoline barge, containing 800,000 gallons, pulled by the tug boat Dauntless, was turning around lighthouse point and heading north to the Erie Basin. The low barge was dimly lit. The 4,000 ton Penobscot was leaving the River and T-boned the barge, running over it before it could stop. The ships trying to separate sparked the explosion.

USLSS Station #5, Ninth District Coast Guard Station #235

The Buffalo unit performs Search and Rescue, Maritime Law Enforcement, Ice Rescue, and Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security missions.

It is responsible for commercial fishing regulation, container inspections, domestic vessel inspection, drug and alcohol testing, facility inspections, homeland security, foreign vessel boardings, investigations, waterways management (events and traffic), exams (licensing), and response to hazardous material release, oil spills, homeland security issues, maritime incidents, reports of drug and alcohol abuse on watercraft.

Sunsets

• The eastern shore of Lake Erie is ideal for sunsets. Getting a shot of the Light in silhouette isn’t possible from this park, but you can get the shot from the Erie Basin Marina across the river.

Shoot wide

• The land surrounding the lighthouse is not large by any means. It’s going to be tough to get a shot of the lighthouse and any scenery behind it without shooting upwards (which tends to cause distortion). Bring an ultra-wide lens, and maybe a small stool to stand on to help fit it in and lessen wide angle distortion.

Skies

• Since you will most likely be shooting upwards at the light, it’s best to come here when there are dramatic clouds in the sky.

More tips

• See the Articles and Message Board sections for more photography tips.

Buffalo Parks and Recreation
Phone: (716) 851-9670

For security safety concerns on the lake:

US Coast Guard Exchange
Phone: (716) 856-8143

Buffalo Lighthouse Association Lighthouse Keeper
[email protected]