H Lee White Marine Museum
The H. Lee White Maritime Museum was founded in 1982 and is located on the
Port of Oswego Authority. It was built by James Steward & Company, Inc in 1925
which served as a machine stop, stock room, superintendent's office, heating plant
and main switchboard room for the daily operations of the elevator, prior to becoming
a museum. One of the museum’s historical treasures is their LT-5 tugboat.
The LT-5 tugboat was built in 1943 by architectural firm Cox and Stevens and is
one of the last remaining operational US army Transport vessels from World War II.
It was one of the first new generations of tugboats of the LT model. It had predecessors
1-4 prior of 1943. LT-5 was launched on November 22, 1943, and had its first mission
on February 3, 1944. On this day, the LT-5 sailed for great Britain, towing eight
railcars to Southampton England to help the Allies prepare for Operation Overlord. On
June 6, 1944, the LT-5 left Exmouth England with a fleet of tugs, barges, merchant ships,
and concrete caissons to establish additional harbors to support the allied assault on
the German forces. The LT-5 left early morning June 7th tasked with surveying a sunken LST.
During the D-Day invasion, the LT-5 was in charge of dropping off cargo, equipment, and
supplies for the soldiers on the beaches of Normandy in France to fight another day. After
the war, the LT-5 was stationed in Buffalo, NY during 1946 and was later renamed John F.Nash.
From 1946-1989, the LT-5 served in the lower great lakes region assisting in the maintenance
of harbors and worked on construction projects including the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s.
When deemed excess by the USACE in 1989, the Port of Oswego Authority eagerly acquired the
National Historic Landmark that is now maintained and operated by the H. Lee White Maritime Museum.
Also part of the museum is the historic Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse. The lighthouse was
built in 1934 to improve on and replace the lights, and was automated in 1967. In 1995, the
lens were removed and the lighthouse was solarized. It is the fourth lighthouse iteration to
stand at the edge of the harbor in Oswego since 1822. It was designed by the Superintendent of
Lighthouse in the couple of years prior to its construction. The construction of the lighthouse
was done as part of an extensive harbor enlargement project and marked the new entrance to the
harbor. It was built out of steel, iron castings, and other elements to ensure that it would be
able to withstand the harsh Oswego weather, high winds, and heavy surf. The lighthouse is still
active today in assisting Lake Ontario sailors into the port.
To learn more visit the museum's website at http://www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com
Sources
Lighthouse. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com/lighthouse.php
M, B. (n.d.). Oswego Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse. Retrieved from https://theclio.com/web/entry?id=18329
Our History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com/pages.php?page=9
Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.discoverupstateny.com/packages/3913/oswego-west-pierhead-lighthouse/
The H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego's Fleet. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com/pages.php?page=19