Quite right, I'm thinking I even saw one in St. Augustine, Fl. I think the advantage of the Fresnel was a production/maintenance advantage.

A classic lens would have been a very thick piece of glass at the center. Since glass is a fluid, just one with a high viscousity, it would have quickly deformed around the edges under its own weight. A flatter lens solved that problem. The glass fluidity problem is why all big optical telescopes are reflectors... you can support a mirror lens with a strong backing material.

Optically, I don't know that a Fresnel is any different than a classic lens. I'd have to get out my physics book an re-read it to be sure, but you can break a classic lens and the big pieces will still bring light to a focus (even though it may be off center if its a piece from the edge). And if it can bring light to a focus, it can also form images (magnify).