Presque Isle Light

For the lighthouses in Michigan, see Old Presque Isle Light and New Presque Isle Light.

Presque Isle Light

Location	Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates
Year first constructed	1872
Year first lit	1873
Automated	1962
Tower shape	Square
Markings / pattern	White
Height	68 ft (21 m)
Focal height	73 ft (22 m)
Original lens	4th order Fresnel
Range	16 nmi (18 mi; 30 km)
Characteristic	Iso W 6s
ARLHS number	USA-666
USCG number	7-3690
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Designated	August 4, 1983
Part of	United States Coast Guard Lighthouses and Light Stations on the Great Lakes Thematic Resource
Reference no.	83002242

The Presque Isle Light is one of three lighthouses on Lake Erie in U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The lighthouse is located on the northern shore of Presque Isle State Park, near Erie. It was built in 1872 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

History

Its construction began in 1872, and the light was first lit on July 12, 1873. It was originally 40 feet (12 m) tall before the tower was raised to its current height in 1896. Its original light characteristic, two red flashes followed by four white flashes, was changed to an alternating red and white flash when it was electrified in the 1920s. The Presque Isle Light was commonly known as the "flashlight" to locals. In 1962, the station was fully automated and the characteristic was changed to a 3 second-on, 3 second-off white light.

The Presque Isle Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 4, 1983 as part of a group listing of lighthouses and light stations operated by the United States Coast Guard on the Great Lakes.

See also

• List of lighthouses in the United States
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, Pennsylvania

External links

• Presque Isle Lighthouse, Peninsula Drive, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Erie County, PA: 6 measured drawings, at Historic American Buildings Survey