Erie Land Light

Erie Land Light
Map
LocationLighthouse Park
Erie, Pennsylvania
United States
Coordinates42°8′38.1″N 80°3′44.1″W / 42.143917°N 80.062250°W / 42.143917; -80.062250
Tower
Constructed1818
ConstructionSandstone
Height48 ft 10 in (15 m)
ShapeConical
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1867 (current tower)
Deactivated1880–1885, 1899
Focal height128 ft (39 m)
LensThird-order Fresnel
Light sourceMineral oil
Range17 nmi (20 mi; 31 km)
CharacteristicF W
Official nameErie Land Lighthouse
DesignatedMarch 30, 1978
Reference no.78002397[1]

The Erie Land Light, also known as the Old Presque Isle Light, is a lighthouse on the shore of Lake Erie in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is one of the three lighthouses in Erie, along with the Presque Isle Light and the North Pier Light. The lighthouse is situated on the bluffs overlooking the lake in Lighthouse Park east of downtown Erie.

The lighthouse was originally constructed in 1818 becoming one of the first to be built by the United States on the Great Lakes. The tower was replaced in 1851 for the first time; in 1858, due to its poor foundations and soil quality, it sank into the ground. The current structure was built in 1867 and remained in service until 1880. It was reactivated five years later before being permanently decommissioned in 1899. Both the lenses and lantern were eventually removed. The Erie Land Light was sold to the city of Erie in 1934 and was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1936. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

  1. ^ "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2010.