Historic Sites

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Sodus Point Pier Light

Historic Site #:12-182   (Exists)   Type: H1,I0 Town:Sodus
Site Name:Sodus Point Pier LightGPS Coordinates:43.277316, -76.973944
Address:7958 Wickham Blvd Sodus Point NY
Description:
Located at the Sodus Point Beach Park on the western pier.

 
Photo by Edith Farrington 2010 on a windy dayPhoto by Richard Palmer showing the pier light and old catwalk
From www.historicsoduspoint.com showing when there were 2 pier lightsThe ignoble end of the inner pier light. Photo by Cathy Contant
 
Historic narrative:

Originally, the Sodus Bay pier had two pier lights known as “The Sentinels” (see above).

 

The outer pier light was constructed in the 1860s.  In 1901 the stone lighthouse was decommissioned  and the pier lights became the main navigational beacons. We can only imagine how many  of the old mariners over the years rejoiced as they were welcomed into  the relative calm of Sodus Bay after enduring Lake Ontario storm tossed waves. In September 1938, the outer pier (most northern) was torn down and replaced. A catwalk was installed to service the pier light in bad weather and existed until it was torn down around 1984.


At some point the inner pier light was removed and ended up at the Sills Marina which is now the Katyln Marina. Here it had a somewhat ignoble existence until the 1970s (see above). 


Nowadays, the one remaining outer pier light is one of the most photographed spots in Sodus Point.


You can read more about the pier light at: https://historicsoduspoint.com/old-photos/whatever-happened-to-the-inner-pier-light/







References:

Historic Sodus Point web site