Our History

The Sodus Bay Historical Society (SBHS) was established in 1972. The mission of the Society is: 

• To collect, preserve and exhibit records, writings, historical items, and artifacts;
• To preserve and disseminate information in the field of history connected with the Sodus Bay area;
• To serve the educational and cultural needs of the Sodus Bay area
• To support the preservation of historic structures, sites and monuments
• To maintain a museum in the historic lighthouse with an emphasis on local maritime history

The Society has operated the Sodus Bay Lighthouse as a museum since July 4, 1985. The Society is a state-chartered, nonprofit institution supported by admissions, donations, grants, and visitor fees. SBHS is a steward, linking the past with the present to make the Lighthouse Museum and grounds an educational, enjoyable, and attractive destination/experience for area residents, their guests, and tourists from around the world.

Lighthouse History

On May 26, 1824, Congress approved a lighthouse located on Sodus Bay in Sodus Point,
NY. Building costs were estimated to be $4500.00 and the government allotted that amount
for the building of the lighthouse.

A publicly approved parcel of land was purchased from William Wickham for $68.75 and that
is where the original Sodus Bay Light was built in 1825. It was of conical construction and
was equipped with all of the necessities that a lighthouse of that time frame would need.

In 1868 an inspection of the lighthouse showed many infirmities and other problems like
leaky roofing and poor walls. This spelled the end of the original Sodus Bay Lighthouse.
Congress again appropriated money to build a lighthouse at Sodus Bay, this time to the tune
of $14,000. The lighthouse is of the square-integral type made of limestone mined at the
Kingston quarries. It is equipped with a fourth order Fresnel lens.

After the new tower was completed on June 30, 1871, the old tower from 1825 was demolished.
The stone from it was used to build a jetty to protect the shoreline in front of the new
lighthouse. The new lighthouse was very similar to the lighthouse at Stony Point, also on the
Great Lakes. The lighthouse was discontinued and the lens was removed in 1901.

In 1977 the lighthouse was listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. In 1984 the
lighthouse was given to the Town of Sodus and during the next year the bank in front of the
lighthouse was rebuilt to retard erosion of the land around the lighthouse.
In 1988 the Fresnel lens was returned to the tower. Today the lighthouse serves as a
Maritime Museum run and maintained by the Sodus Bay Historical Society.