Oldest - Existing Lighthouse on the Great Lakes - Toronto, Ontario
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 43° 36.816 W 079° 23.114
17T E 630300 N 4830224
The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse began operating in 1808 and is the oldest still existing lighthouse on the Great Lakes.
Waymark Code: WMEQJA
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 06/27/2012
Views: 10
Wikipedia tells the story (
visit link) :
"The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario. Completed in 1808, it is the oldest existing lighthouse on the Great Lakes...
Construction was started in 1803 and it started operating in 1808. It was built to a height of 52 feet and extended to 82 feet in 1932. The diameter ranges from ~7 m at the base to ~2.1 m at the top. The base is made from stone quarried in Queenston and the extension from Kingston stone.
The tower initially used sperm oil from 1832 and switched to coal in 1863. The original lamp structure was wood and replaced with steel in 1878. An electric light was installed in 1916-17 and updated in 1945. In 1958 Metro Parks took over operations and made renovations in 1961-62.
It once stood on the shore but over time sand has built up in front of it so that it now stands about 100 m inland. It is currently unused and shut. It stands as a testament to Toronto's history as a Great Lakes port."