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The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum is pleased to announce the support of Senator Maziarz in their quest to rebuild history with the construction of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse at Point Breeze in Carlton. A grant of $25,000 has been committed for the project, expected to break ground in 2007. The project, which was initiated in 2003 by a group of volunteers dedicated to restoring the maritime history of the area, has attained significant milestones in the 3-1/2 years since its inception. These include the establishment of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum under a provisional charter granted by the New York State Education Department’s Board of Regents and status as 501c3 not-for-profit organization.
These milestones validate the historical and educational value of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum and its goals to the community here in Orleans County. The show of support from Senator Maziarz highlights the value of our area as a tourist destination. When constructed, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse will attract visitors and history seekers along the Seaway Trail, and enhance Orleans County’s harbor entrance at Point Breeze.
12 April 2006: The Oak Orchard Lighthouse project is making great progress, with the recent hiring of Chatfield Engineers, of Greece, New York. The committee met with Chatfield and representatives of New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and Orleans County on Monday, April 10 at the Albion Visitor Center to firm up the agreement. Chatfield will engineer, design and assist with the construction of the replica lighthouse that will be built at the county-leased state owned park located at the northeast tip of Oak Orchard Harbor, in Point Breeze (Carlton) on Lake Ontario. The 501c3 not-for-profit Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum Committee anticipates the structure to be up no later than 2007. Funds are expected from grants and the continued support from the public. Successful fundraising through dinner dances, sales of lighthouse related items, donations and memberships have brought the grass-roots community project to reality.
Along with bringing more tourism to Orleans County, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum, chartered under the New York State Education Department, will promote and preserve the rich maritime history of the area through educational programming opportunities. It is hoped the local project will tie the Erie Canal and Seaway Trail, to create a unique tourist destination. The Erie Canal and Lake Ontario are only 8.5 miles distant from each other in Orleans, with many points of interest along the way. This is the closest the Erie Canal comes to Lake Ontario in New York State, creating opportunities for the canal towns of Orleans, as well as the harbor area.
After obtaining not-for-profit (501c3) status, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum is mentioned in the April 2006 issue of Lighthouse Digest. Click here to view the article.
After nine long months of waiting to hear on their application to the IRS for Not-For-Profit status, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum is now a 501c3 organization. With this designation, donations to the museum are now fully tax-deductible for the donor. This is a giant step for the museum, which started with a few interested people meeting in the Orleans Marine Park in the summer of 2003, to explore the possibility of rebuilding the lighthouse that once graced the entrance to Oak Orchard Harbor. The 501c3 not-for-profit status should step up fundraising, with a lighthouse at Point Breeze being constructed in the near future.
It was truly gratifying to see the hundreds of people from Orleans County as well as Monroe, Erie, Niagara and Genesee counties, who came to support the Oak Orchard Lighthouse rebuilding fundraiser that was held on March 12, 2005 at the Carlton Fireman’s Rec Hall. The can-do spirit and attitude of everyone that came to the chicken barbecue was proof that “we the people” can indeed accomplish good things when we work together and support each other. Almost $3000 was raised in one night for this project! The event was a celebration of our own self-empowerment, an affirmation that this community welcomes a project that will bring alive our history, enrich our culture, and encourage tourism, thereby boosting our economy here.
The Oak Orchard Harbor Light Committee is deeply grateful for the support that was shown. We thank all those who worked so hard to make the fundraiser a success, the businesses and citizens who donated their precious time and goods.
