Bluff Point Light
Encyclopedia
Bluff Point Light, also known as the Valcour Island Light, on Valcour Island
in Lake Champlain
was in service from its construction in 1874 until 1930 and was one of the last lighthouses on Lake Champlain to be named. It is now part of Adirondack State Park
and operated as a museum
by the Clinton County Historical Association. Access to the island and the lighthouse is offered in connection with the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum
.
Bluff Point Light, for which the United States Congress
approved $15,000 in funding in 1870, with a base of blue limestone
, stands more than ninety feet above the shore. The grounds also include a wooden shed (which has since collapsed and was removed), a cistern and a privy. For almost sixty years, the lighthouse and its fifth order Frensel lens guided ships through the channel
between Valcour Island and New York State. As was the case with many other lighthouses, the lighthouse keeper
for Bluff Point Light was a disabled Civil War
veteran
, Major William Herwerth, who worked at the lighthouse from 1876 until
1881 when he died while on duty. In an unusual position for a woman at that time, Herwerth's wife Mary was given command of the lighthouse, which she maintained until 1902.
In 1930, the lighthouse ceased operation when a steel tower with an automated light was built to the south of the lighthouse, rendering the lighthouse obsolete.
The lighthouse remained unlit until 2002 when the United States Coast Guard
lit it in August 2002, although it was not officially put back into service until 2004.
After the lighthouse was taken out of service, it was purchased by a dentist from Massachusetts
who used it as a summer residence.
In the 1980s, the lighthouse became a part of Adirondack State Park and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has held the deed to the house since 1986 and pays for all maintenance. Since that time, the Clinton County Historical Association worked to restore the lighthouse and preserve it as a museum. In 1999, the Association was given an Adirondack Architectural Heritage Award for their stewardship of the lighthouse.
Valcour Island
Valcour Island is an island in Lake Champlain in Clinton County, New York, USA. The island is mostly in the Town of Peru and partly in the Town of Plattsburgh, southeast of the City of Plattsburgh....
in Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
was in service from its construction in 1874 until 1930 and was one of the last lighthouses on Lake Champlain to be named. It is now part of Adirondack State Park
Adirondack State Park
The Adirondack Park is a publicly protected area in northeast New York. It is the largest park and the largest state-level protected area in the contiguous United States, and the largest National Historic Landmark....
and operated as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
by the Clinton County Historical Association. Access to the island and the lighthouse is offered in connection with the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum
Champlain Valley Transportation Museum
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum in Plattsburgh, New York, originally founded in 2000 to be a museum dedicated to the history of Lozier Motors, has grown in scope to cover all the transportation in the region. It includes artifacts and displays on the history of land and water based...
.
Bluff Point Light, for which the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
approved $15,000 in funding in 1870, with a base of blue limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, stands more than ninety feet above the shore. The grounds also include a wooden shed (which has since collapsed and was removed), a cistern and a privy. For almost sixty years, the lighthouse and its fifth order Frensel lens guided ships through the channel
Channel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
between Valcour Island and New York State. As was the case with many other lighthouses, the lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
for Bluff Point Light was a disabled Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
, Major William Herwerth, who worked at the lighthouse from 1876 until
1881 when he died while on duty. In an unusual position for a woman at that time, Herwerth's wife Mary was given command of the lighthouse, which she maintained until 1902.
In 1930, the lighthouse ceased operation when a steel tower with an automated light was built to the south of the lighthouse, rendering the lighthouse obsolete.
The lighthouse remained unlit until 2002 when the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
lit it in August 2002, although it was not officially put back into service until 2004.
After the lighthouse was taken out of service, it was purchased by a dentist from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
who used it as a summer residence.
In the 1980s, the lighthouse became a part of Adirondack State Park and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has held the deed to the house since 1986 and pays for all maintenance. Since that time, the Clinton County Historical Association worked to restore the lighthouse and preserve it as a museum. In 1999, the Association was given an Adirondack Architectural Heritage Award for their stewardship of the lighthouse.
External links
Further reading
- Oleszewski, Wes. Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
- U.S. Coast Guard. Historically Famous Lighthouses (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1957).
- Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia. Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993