Presque Isle Light was built on Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie shore after shifting sands on the Presque Isle peninsula began to obscure Erie’s older harbor lighthouse. Funded by Congress in 1872 and completed in 1873 despite the peninsula’s isolation and storm-damaged supplies, it first shone on July 12, 1873. The brick tower was later raised from 40 to 68 feet to keep its beacon visible above surrounding trees, and its signal changed several times as technology advanced from oil and kerosene to electrification, automation, and modern LED equipment. Now on the National Register, it remains an active navigational aid and a restored museum.