As commercial shipping on Lake Ontario increased toward the end of the eighteenth century, navigational aids and safe harbors became a serious concern. In 1805 Congress officially established a port at the entrance to the Genesee River. Since the river was partially blocked by sandbars and the port was surrounded by marshlands, a lighthouse was deemed absolutely necessary for safe passage into the river.

In 1821, the federal government purchased 3.5 acres for the express purpose of building a light station. Within a year, a 40-foot tower and small keeper’s cottage were erected on a bluff overlooking the mouth of the Genesee River and Port of Rochester. The octagonal limestone tower was fitted with the latest Argand lamps and parabolic reflectors.

Shifting sandbars near the river’s entrance continued to be a constant source of frustration for ships’ pilots. To alleviate the problem, wooden piers were built some distance out into the lake in 1829. Although the immediate dilemma was resolved, wind and wave action carried the sand to the surrounding shoreline which included the lighthouse bluff. Over the years, the beach continued to grow, leaving the lighthouse farther and farther from the water’s edge. In 1838 it became necessary to add a secondary light on the western pier.

In 1853 the Charlotte-Genesee light received its first major facelift. A modern fourth order Fresnel lens was installed, and the old wooden tower steps were replaced with a cast iron stairway. Ten years later, the two-room keeper’s quarters were torn down and replaced with a handsome, two story brick house. By 1881 the Lighthouse Board determined that the lighthouse had outlived its usefulness. The lantern and Fresnel lens were transferred to a new 28-foot iron tower on the west pier. Although many steamboat and commercial ship captains were unhappy with the change, the decision was final. The house, however, continued to be used as a residence for the pier lightkeepers and U.S. Coast Guard personnel for another 100 years.

In 1965 rumors began to circulate about the impending dismantling of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse. Although considered surplus property by government officials, for many people, especially the students at Charlotte High School, the lighthouse was an important symbol of their heritage.

Members of the Charlotte Community Association and the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse Preservation Committee repaired the old tower and established a museum. Students from the Edison Technical School built a new lantern and borrowed an original Fresnel lens from the Coast Guard.
The lamp was relit ceremoniously in June of 1984 during the Rochester Sesquicentennial Celebration. This charming light station has withstood the tests of time, nature, and bureaucratic indifference. Because of the efforts of local citizens, this historic structure will be appreciated by generations to come.