Buffalo's "Leaning Lighthouse"

 

Built on the Outer Harbor Breakwater in 1872, Buffalo’s “Leaning Lighthouse” became the third main harbor light in 1914 when the 1833 light was decommissioned and its third-order lens transferred to the newly rebuilt breakwater light.

 

The lighthouse earned its new  nickname in  1958, when an 8,000-ton ore boat misjudged the turn and hit the corner of the foundation crib, shoving it 20 feet back into the stone breakwater and tilting it about 15 degrees. A study led to a decision to reconfigure the harbor entrance, demolishing the lighthouse and replacing it with a new one on a new breakwater even farther out.

 

The plan also shaved land off the tip of Lighthouse Point and would have razed the 1833 light, but public outcry saved the older tower.