ANNUAL CHRSTMAS WEEKEND

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6th & SUNDAY DECEMBER 7th

OPEN FROM 1:00 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

FREE ADMISSION

If you want a wreath, please call the Lighthouse at 585.621.6179 or

email us at info@geneseelighthouse.org with the number you want.

Pay when you pick up your wreath.  Same Price as Last Year, $25.00 (no discount on this item)

Although closed for tours during the winter months, the lighthouse museum’s gift shop will open for holiday shopping December 6th and 7th from 1-4 p.m. With a variety of gifts for lighthouse enthusiasts, all in-store items are 10% off, except Christmas wreaths. Members & Guests who become members of the Lighthouse Society will receive a 20% discount on their purchases (excluding wreaths)—discounts are offered on in-store items only; online purchases are not eligible. Lighthouse-theme items include T-shirts, books, sweatshirts, cutting boards, pillows, mugs, tote bags, and other keepsakes.
Additionally, a limited selection of ceramic lighthouse models will be available at 50% off. Order forms will be available for hard-to-find clothing sizes. Freshly decorated Christmas wreaths will be available for $25 each (including tax); shoppers may reserve one by calling (585) 621-6179.

The Lighthouse reopens for its regular season on Friday, May 1, 2026. The grounds are open for exterior photography throughout the year.   The Lighthouse stands at 70 Lighthouse Street, near Holy Cross Church, 4492 Lake Avenue.  (Special Group Tours by appointment only, may be arranged by calling the Lighthouse at 585-621-6179 during the off-season, or by email to info@geneseelighthouse.org. Weather conditions may not permit entrance to the tower.)

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The Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse Historical Society celebrates the local women of the Town of Greece who participated in the suffrage movement with a new exhibit and book at the museum.

On August 18th, 2020 we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. It states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

New York State had already passed universal suffrage on November 6, 1917, almost 3 years before the 19th amendment, but the citizens of Rochester voted against giving women the right to vote.

The local Charlotte Political Equality Club was formed on November 15, 1892, at the farm of Jean Brooks Greenleaf. In 2018, the Greece Historical Society installed a historic marker with a grant from the Pomeroy Foundation at her farm on Greenleaf Road, now part of Lakeshore Country Club.

Voters for Woman

Three Monroe County Annual Conventions were also held in the Village of Charlotte, two at the Methodist Church on Lake Avenue, in 1893 and 1897 and one at the Presbyterian Church on Stutson Street in 1909.

The exhibit tells the story of each of the fourteen women who are known to have participated in the suffrage movement, most of whom lived in the Village of Charlotte.

There was no doubt many more who participated but their names have been lost to history. Most came from middle-class families and were active in their churches and in other causes.

Winning the Vote in Greece

Among the women featured are Mary Greer Pollard (wife of the village blacksmith), Emma Pollard Greer (teacher and Charlotte historian), Mary Holden Greer (a teacher who found the body of Sam Patch in the Genesee River), Josephine Jones Richmond (daughter of Charlotte’s doctor), and Lydia Loomis East (church organist).

Perhaps the most tireless and well-known local woman was Jean Brooks Greenleaf, who worked with Susan B. Anthony. She was elected Vice-President of the Charlotte Equality Club and was later President of the Rochester club for 3 years before being elected President of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association in 1890.

In conjunction with this exhibit, a book entitled Winning the Vote in Greece is available in the gift shop. Written by Maureen Whalen and Marie Poinan, the book features detailed information on each of the fourteen local suffragists from the Town of Greece & Charlotte.

WANT TO HELP?

DO YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN LIGHTHOUSES, CHARLOTTE HISTORY OR MARITIME HISTORY?  OR INTERESDT IN HELPING US KEEP THE FACILITIES AND ORGANIZATION RUNNING. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING PLEASE CONTACT US either by PHONE AT 585.621.6179 OR EMAIL US AT: info@geneseelighthouse.org

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED; TRAINING PROVIDED:

• Guides to give tours of our Museum & Tower
• Cashier willing to learn the operation of cash register & credit card machine
• Help plan & maintain the grounds
• Gardeners needed on a regular basis to work with our Garden Committee
• Maintenance in the Keeper’s house, tower & other structures on the property
• Short jobs requiring plumbing & electrical experience
• Maintenance

WISH LIST:

• Storage Boxes, acid-free, for archival materials (assorted sizes).
• Printer: Laser, color  automatic two-sided printing