Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Building, Site

Location

33435 County Rd 6, Cape Vincent, NY 13618, USA

Lat/Long

44.101369, -76.370349

Grant Recipient

Tibbetts Point Lighthouse Historical Society

In the year 1800, John Tibbets* was granted 600 acres of land on the east shore of Lake Ontario in what was at the time the town of Lyme. On January 25, 1827, the New York State Legislature passed an act authorizing the erection of a lighthouse on the land (Chapter 23, 50^th Session). This was necessary because some of Tibbets heirs were children and could not legally cede the land. In 1827 the lighthouse tower was built and began operation on the corner where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario.

In 1851 the United States Lighthouse Board was established under the Department of the Treasury. Until 1910, the Board was responsible for establishing, improving, and maintaining the lighthouses across America. They greatly increased the number and quality of lighthouses during this time, and Tibbetts Point Lighthouse benefited as well.

In 1853, the U.S. Congress passed H.R. 362, called “A Bill Making Appropriations for lighthouses, buoys, etc…”. Five thousand dollars were allocated by this bill for the re-building for the Tibbits’ Point lighthouse tower. When the Tibbetts Point light tower was re-built, plans were drawn for the project and included a “lenticular light of the 4^th order”, which was also known as a Fresnel Lens. Work took place between 1853 and 1854, and the Fresnel Lens they installed at that time is still in use in 2025.

In 1893, U.S. Congress authorized the appropriation of $4,300 for the building of a steam fog signal. It was noted in the 1894 Secretary of the Treasury report that this was necessary because this critical location at the entrance to the St. Lawrence River often had thick fog, and the steam fog signal was the only way to make the location known in thick foggy weather (3^rd Session, 53^rd Congress).

The next improvement to the site came in 1880, as funding was allocated for a new keeper dwelling. In the notes of the appropriations estimate, they noted that the location was significant, and the light must always be working, but that the keepers dwelling was “past repair, and too small for the keeper”. $10,000 was allocated for the project (1879 Estimate of Appropriations, Secretary of the Treasury report, 2^nd Session, 46^th Congress). In 1906, $4,000 was estimated to be allocated for the building of the second assistant keepers dwelling (Committee on Appropriations, 1^st Session, 59^th Congress).

Today, the light house tower is located in the Town of Cape Vincent and is host to the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse Historical Society.

*A note on the spelling: The land deed giving 600 acres of land to John Tibbets in 1800 spells his name with one “t”. However, most sources, including both historical and current government documents, spell the name as “Tibbetts”. For these reasons, John Tibbets name has been spelled according to the historical documents available, whereas the sign has been titled consistent with current and historical spellings.