Crossover Island Light

Crossover Island Light is a lighthouse on the Saint Lawrence River featuring a conical tower made of cast iron, brick, and wood cladding. The structure sits on a stone foundation and was built to guide ships through the waterway.

The lighthouse began service in 1848 as a navigation aid and helped vessels safely navigate the waterway for over a century. It was decommissioned in 1941 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

The lighthouse takes its name from the water channel crossing where it stands, and its red lantern top is visible from great distances across the river. Vessels passing through rely on this bright signal as a landmark.

The lighthouse sits on an island in the river and is best viewed or accessed from the water. Visitors should know that the area experiences harsh winter weather, so warmer months offer the most practical visiting conditions.

The lighthouse originally used a sixth-order Fresnel lens, an optical system that focused light across great distances. This lens was a marvel of 19th century technology and allowed it to warn ships miles away.