There are 24 Lighthouses on the Southern shore of Lake Ontario and into the St. Lawrence River. Many of them have stood for almost 200 years. The Oak Orchard Lighthouse is not one of them. In fact, it is only ten years old and a replica at that.
The Original Lighthouse
The original lighthouse was built in 1871 on the west side of point breeze. The lighthouse was in service until 1914 when the pier that it sat on deteriorated beyond repair. What remained of the lighthouse and pier were washed away in a storm in 1916. For a time, when the conditions were right, the remains of the lighthouse could be seen in the lake. In the 1970s, the Army Corp of Engineers cleaned up the remains of the lighthouse and pier and redesigned Point Breeze to its current appearance.
Recreating History
In the early 2000s, a committee was formed with the desire to rebuild the lighthouse. The original blueprints were located, and they were able to reconstruct the lighthouse as an exact replica, completed in 2010. The only difference is the location since the original pier no longer existed. The lighthouse is no longer part of the Coast Guard and National Lighthouse Service but does adhere to its standards. Oak Orchard Lighthouse does have an active beacon that can be seen up to two miles and shines from April 1 – November 1. It is listed as a private navigation beacon.
Pier & Boat Launch
In addition to the lighthouse, there is a lovely pier that is excellent for watching sunrises and sunsets on. It is also a popular fishing pier and boat launch. A small beach in front of the lighthouse makes for an excellent place to soak up the sun. There are restrooms available on-premises as well. We were there just as a large storm was beginning to roll in, and it was incredible to watch from the pier with the wide-open view of Lake Ontario in front of us.
Black North Inn Bar & Grill
There is a restaurant that shares the parking lot with the Oak Orchard Lighthouse. There always seem to be a lot of vehicles parked here, so the food must be pretty good. We haven’t tried it… Yet. However, I did notice while perusing their menu for this article that they serve lobster bisque (a personal favorite). So, I am fairly certain that we will be stopping in to sample their fare very soon.
Getting to Oak Orchard Lighthouse
Address: 14357 Ontario Street, Kent, NY 14477