The Presque Isle Light is one of the three lighthouse

Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

s in Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

. It was built in 1872 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 on August 4, 1983.

History

Its construction began in 1872, and the light was first lit on July 12, 1873. It was originally 40 feet (12.2 m) tall before the tower was raised to its current height in 1896. Its original light characteristic, two red flashes followed by four white flashes, was changed to an alternating red and white flash when it was electrified in the 1920s. The Presque Isle Light was commonly known as the "flashlight" to locals. In 1962, the station was fully automated and the characteristic was changed to a 3 second-on, 3 second-off white light.

Further reading