BRIGHT LIGHT: PLans to rebuild Oak Orchard Lighthouse underway at Point Breeze

By Tara Garcia Mathewson/Intern

In the winter of 1916, Point Breeze was witness to a vicious storm that wiped away the Oak Orchard lighthouse and the pier it stood on, leaving the structure to be but a distant memory until 2003 when a group of dedicated volunteers devised a plan to rebuild history.

“We’re trying to build as historically accurate as we can with the information we have from the National Archives,” said Jamie Kowalski, a member of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum Board of Trustees.

The original lighthouse stood on the west side of the Oak Orchard River. It was 1,600 feet into the lake until its demise in 1916. Today, reconstruction is planned on the east side of the harbor at Point Breeze where the replica will be anchored to bedrock 20 feet below the surface. This anchor will ensure a longer life than its predecessor.

The seven-member Board of Trustees is comprised of the same people it was in 2003 when it was formed. Richard Anderson is the current president after taking over for Margaret Wiley, its founder, in June. At this point, with most of their permits acquired, the board and their fellow volunteers have been working on fundraising and grant applications.

The Board of Trustees is currently appealing to businesses for a new round of donations as they strive to meet the total project cost of $172,266.

“If we bring in more tourism, people are going to come, stay and spend their money here,” Anderson said. He also noted the not-for-profit status of the Museum means all donations are tax deductible.

A dinner presentation will be held on August 10 with proceeds benefiting the reconstruction project. Dan Scoville and Jim Kennard will detail their discovery of a schooner found near Oak Orchard Harbor. The 19th century vessel is believed to be the “Milan,” which sank in 1849 off the southern shore of Lake Ontario.

An ongoing fundraiser includes the sale of bricks that will make up the walkway near the lighthouse. Individuals and families can make a $50 donation and design a personalized brick.

“This will be here for generations and generations — when people buy bricks they’re a part of it all,” Wiley said.

The Museum Board is hoping to get as many people involved as possible and also plans to sell engravings on four benches and a compass rose made of Medina Sandstone that will complete the brick walkway.

Initial plans set aside the spring of 2007 for the start of construction but that goal had to be postponed. With only one-third of the money raised, Anderson said the committee is going to buckle down with fundraising and hope to break ground next summer.

“But, building the lighthouse is just a step on the way,” Anderson said.

After construction of the lighthouse is complete, the board needs to find a space to house the museum’s artifacts. With very little space inside the lighthouse, a museum will need to be formed elsewhere.

Wiley said she hopes they will be able to find a place near the lighthouse, but the next best location is along the Erie Canal. The museum will not focus solely on Point Breeze but on maritime history in general, including that of the canal.

Wiley thinks this team has been able to succeed in plans to rebuild when, in the past, groups have failed because of timing, she said. People are more interested in an anchor to the past and more appreciative of history.

“This is the kind of project that can make things better for everyone in the county,” Wiley said. “People are looking for history and roots and I think with everything that’s happened in the past few years, people are looking for that kind of thing.”

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