In 1792, the land upon which the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse now stands was settled by the Hincher family. They settled on a hill which overlooked the west bank of the Genesee River as it emptied into Lake Ontario. When William Hincher died in 1822, his widow Mehitable sold the federal government 3.25 acres of land for $400 to build a lighthouse on the site. Commercial trade on Lake Ontario had been steadily growing, and the new lighthouse was to guide ships into the Port of Rochester, NY. The tower itself was built in what was then the village of Charlotte.