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The Charlotte–Genesee Lighthouse stands at the Genesee River mouth in Rochester’s Charlotte neighborhood as an early Lake Ontario navigational aid. Built in 1822 as a stone octagonal tower, it first used whale-oil Argand lamps and received a Fresnel lens in 1853, reflecting improving lighthouse technology. Changes to nearby piers later left the tower too far from the water for effective guidance, and its light was extinguished in 1881 before being moved to a pier in 1884. Threatened with demolition, it survived through local preservation efforts led in part by Charlotte High School students. It is now a museum, landmark, and active light.
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Rochester, New York · United States
