The Third Buffalo Light (1872)
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.