Downstate New York Lighthouses

Rich in waterways, New York is equally rich in lighthouses. This page lists lists lighthouses and lightships of New York's Atlantic coast, Long Island Sound, New York Harbor, and the Hudson River. Lighthouses of Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence River, Lakes Ontario and Erie, and the New York State Canal system are listed on the Upstate page. In New York Harbor, the Robbins Reef, Great Beds, and Romer Shoal lights, though listed by the National Maritime Inventory under New York and often considered New York lighthouses, are actually in New Jersey waters. In Long Island Sound, the Latimer Reef Light is listed here, since careful study of nautical charts shows it is not in Connecticut, where it is often listed.

Lightships WLV-87 Ambrose, WLV-112 Nantucket, and WLV-115 Frying Pan are all berthed in New York City. In addition, the lightship WLV-75 St. Clair was recently rediscovered in New York, where it had been stripped down and used for many years as a lighter barge. There was a report the ship is being restored, but its location is unknown. Another lightship, WLV-84 St. Johns, is reported sunk at a pier in Yonkers.

Although there is no state preservation society, there are many regional and local preservation groups. Lighthouse preservation efforts are particularly strong on Long Island and along the Hudson. Another preservation group, New York Harbor Lights, is working for the numerous lighthouses of New York harbor.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. USCG numbers are from Volume I of the USCG Light List.

What's Hot:

Lightship Nantucket for sale for $1

Montauk Point Light, April 2006
anonymous Creative Commons photo

General Sources
New York Lighthouses: Photos, travel directions, and historical accounts by Kraig Anderson.
Lighthouses in New York, United States: Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Long Island Lighthouses: Robert G. Muller maintains this web site for all the Long Island lighthouses and some lighthouses elsewhere New York lighthouses. Muller also hosts the web site of the Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
Lighthouses of Long Island: Another good site for Long Island, this one posted by Bob and Kristin Scroope, members of the Board of Directors of the Long Island Chapter.
East End Lighthouses: This site is for the seven lighthouses (and one former lighthouse) in and around Orient Point, Long Island. East End Lighthouses is a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
Lighthouses of New York Harbor: This site is maintained by New York Harbor Lights, the local chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. It is part of the web site of the National Lighthouse Museum, located at the former U.S. Lighthouse Depot on Staten Island.
Hudson River Lightkeepers: Preservation society for the seven surviving lighthouses of the Hudson Valley.
Hudson Riverlights: This web site of the Hudson River Lighthouse Coalition has information on all the surviving lighthouses of the river.
Long Island Atlantic Coast Lighthouses
**** Montauk Point: 1797 (John McComb). Active; focal plane 168 ft (51 m); white flash every 5 s. 110 ft (33.5 m) octagonal sandstone tower with lantern and gallery; VRB-25 aerobeacon (2001). Tower painted white with a broad black band, lantern black. Fog horn (2 s blast every 15 s). The keeper's house (1860) is used as a visitor center and museum; displays include the 3-1/2° Fresnel lens used 1904-1987, also two 4° Fresnel lenses and a 5° lens, all of uncertain origin. An older 2-story brick keeper's house (1838) was converted to a barn and later to a garage. The oil house, fog signal building (1897), and other structures are also preserved. A photo appears above, The Long Island Genealogy Home Page has a history of the light station, Anderson has a good page for the lighthouse, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This is a historic and well-loved lighthouse, the oldest in New York and fifth oldest in the U.S. There was a major restoration of the tower in 1998-99. A modern visitor center was completed in 2005, and there are plans to restore the exterior of the 1838 keeper's quarters. The light station is endangered by beach erosion, currently held at bay by a 400 ft (120 m) stone revetment built in 1992. In 2006, the Army Corps of Engineers received $12 million in funding to build a much longer and stronger barrier. Located on Turtle Hill at the tip of Montauk Point (end of NY 27). Site open; museum and tower open daily in the summer, weekends and holidays spring and fall. Owner/site manager: Montauk Historical Society. ARLHS USA-512; Admiralty J0690; USCG 1-660.
* Shinnecock (Ponquogue, Great West Bay) (2): Date unknown (station established 1858). Active; focal plane 75 ft (23 m); 2 red flashes every 15 s. The light is on a tall triangular Coast Guard skeletal communications tower similar to a TV transmission tower. Fog horn (2 s blast every 15 s). The original lighthouse, a 160 ft (41 m) brick tower similar to the Cape May NJ lighthouse, was deactivated in 1931 and dynamited by the Coast Guard in 1948. The oil house survives. Fog horn (2 s blast every 15 s). This is an active Coast Guard station. The Scroopes report on a March 2001 visit to the site, Muller has historical information, Lighthouse Digest has an article on the lighthouse and its destruction, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Ponquogue Point on the mainland, near the Ponquogue Bridge and about a mile northwest of Shinnecock Inlet. Site open. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-755; Admiralty J0998; USCG 1-675.
Block Island Sound and Gardiners Bay Lighthouses
** Montauk Yacht Club: About 1930. Active (maintained by the club); focal plane 65 ft (20 m); continuous white light. 60 ft (18 m) octagonal brick tower, painted white, with white-shingled watch room, octagonal lantern, and two galleries, attached to a large yacht club complex. Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was built by Carl Fisher as part of a resort development that also included dredging a canal to connect Lake Montauk with Block Island Sound, creating a large protected anchorage. One of the oldest privately built and maintained lighthouses in the U.S. The tower houses meeting rooms. Located on Star Island in Lake Montauk. Accessible via the Star Island Road causeway off West Lake Drive in Montauk. Site and tower open. Owner/site manager: Montauk Yacht Club. ARLHS USA-1308; USCG 1-19985.
* Cedar Island (2): 1868 (station established 1839). Inactive since 1934. 40 ft (12 m) square cylindrical granite tower with lantern and gallery, attached to one corner of a 2-1/2 story granite keeper's house. Active light (focal plane 57 ft (17 m); green flash every 4 s) on a square cylindrical steel skeletal tower. Brick oil house (1902). Interior of the lighthouse gutted by fire in 1974. Endangered by neglect and in very poor condition. Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. The Cedar Island Lighthouse Committee works for preservation and restoration, but an August 2000 Lighthouse Digest story reported the building remained in very bad condition. The Scroopes report on a 1999 visit. In March 2002, the Long Island Chapter and Suffolk County Parks announced a joint effort to restore the lighthouse, and in August Lighthouse Digest carried a full report on the site. In spring 2003 some preliminary work was beginning in the lighthouse. In early 2004 the oil house was restored, and later that year an architectural firm was studying the lighthouse. Information on the current situation is needed. Located on Cedar Point (the island has been joined to the mainland since 1938) northeast of Sag Harbor. Accessible by a hike of about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) each way. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Suffolk County. Site manager: Cedar Point County Park. ARLHS USA-147; USCG 1-28245.
Long Beach Bar ("Bug Light"): 1990 reconstruction of 1871 lighthouse (Albert Dow, designer) destroyed by arson in 1963. Reactivated (inactive 1945-1990); focal plane 63 ft (19 m); white flash every 4 s. 65 ft (20 m) wooden octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story square wood keeper's house, all mounted on a concrete foundation (1926) but supported in part by the original (1871) screwpile foundation. 250 mm lens. Lighthouse painted white, including the roof and lantern; lantern roof is black. Anderson has a page with fine photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Sibling of Colchester Reef VT. The lighthouse was rebuilt by the East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation, which raised $140,000 for the purpose. In recent years it has been the subject of controversy: East End Lighthouses, founded by a former director of the Museum, was contending with the Museum for management rights. In 2005, the Museum and East End Lighthouses reached an agreement; the Museum is responsible for routine maintenance and repairs and maintains a fund for that work, and East End Lighthouses will have the responsibility for all major repairs and improvements. Both entities have agreed to cooperate in raising funds for the lighthouse. The lighthouse may be endangered by deterioration of the original screwpilings. Located in the entrance to Orient Harbor off Long Beach Point. Accessible only by boat; visible from Orient Beach State Park. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation. ARLHS USA-448; Admiralty J0701.5; USCG 1-27975.
Eastern Long Island Sound Lighthouses (see also Connecticut)
Latimer Reef: 1884. Active; focal plane 55 ft (17 m); white flash every 6 s. 49 ft (15 m) round cast iron sparkplug tower (brick lined) with lantern and double gallery, incorporating 3-story keeper's house and mounted on a concrete caisson; 300 mm lens (1983). Fog bell (2 strokes every 15 s). Tower painted white with a single horizontal brown band; lantern is also white. Anderson has a fine page with excellent photos, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. This lighthouse is a sibling of the Stamford Harbor Light in Connecticut. Located in Fishers Island Sound southwest of Stonington, Connecticut, near the point where the borders of New York, Connecticut, and Rgode Island converge. Accessible only by boat; there are distant views from the Connecticut shore. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1049; USCG 1-20085.
North Dumpling (2): 1871 (station established 1849). Reactivated (inactive 1959-1980); focal plane 60 ft (18 m); continuous white light (displays red to the southeast). 31 ft (10 m) octagonal shingled wooden tower with lantern and gallery, attached to 2-story red brick (originally wooden) residence; 300 mm lens (1980). The original lantern has been replaced with a modern lantern room, painted white with a shingled roof. Fog horn (3 s blast every 30 s). Kraig Anderson has good recent photos, Bob Indrums has a good 2006 closeup, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The house was extensively modified from the original in 1980, and its brick facade is modern. The light, which had been moved to a skeletal tower in 1959, was returned to the original tower during the 1980 renovation. Originally a sibling of the Colchester Reef Light in Vermont (Albert Dow, designer). The Coast Guard has a photo showing the light's original appearance. The current owner is Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway; he installed a wind turbine to help power the house and light. Located on a small island between Fisher's Island, New York, and Groton Long Point, Connecticut. Accessible only by boat. Visible from Fisher's Island, which is accessible by ferry from New London, Connecticut. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-552; Admiralty J0680; USCG 1-20145.
Race Rock: 1879 (Francis H. Smith and Thomas A. Scott). Active; focal plane 67 ft (20.5 m); red flash every 10 s. 45 ft (14 m) octagonal cylindrical granite tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one side of a 1-1/2 story granite Gothic revival keeper's house; all mounted on a granite caisson and protected by rip rap; rotating DCB-24 aerobeacon (1979). Lantern painted white, granite unpainted. Fog horn (two 2 s blasts every 30 s). Anderson has good photos, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. This lighthouse is on a difficult and dangerous site; construction took 6 years. In 2005 the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located on a reef 3/4 mile (1.2 km) west southwest of Race Point, the western tip of Fisher's Island. Accessible only by boat; dangerous waters. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-681; Admiralty J0686; USCG 1-19815.
Little Gull Island (2): 1869 (station established 1804). Active; focal plane 91 ft (28 m); 2 white flashes every 15 s. 81 ft (25 m) round granite tower with lantern and gallery; aerobeacon. Fog horn (2 s blast every 15 s). Watch room painted white, lantern roof red; the granite tower is unpainted. The original 2° Fresnel lens is displayed at the East End Seaport Maritime Museum in Greenport. The keeper's house was demolished in 1978. Anderson has good photos. Located on Little Gull Island off the east point of Plum Island. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-440; Admiralty J0726; USCG 1-19830.
Plum Island (Plum Gut) (2): 1870 (station established 1827). Inactive since 1978. 55 ft (17 m) square cylindrical wood tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the front of 2-story granite keeper's quarters. 4° Fresnel lens (1897) displayed at the East End Seaport Maritime Museum in Greenport. Sibling of Block Island North Light RI. The brick oil house carried a light on a skeletal tower from 1978 to 1992, but the oil house was lost to beach erosion in 1997. The active light structure (focal plane 50 ft (15 m); white flash every 2.5 s) is a 15 ft (4.5 m) square skeletal tower located near the lighthouse. Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is endangered by beach erosion and neglect. Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. Anderson's photos give a good view of the problem. A restoration effort has been organized by the Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Lighthouse Digest profiled this effort in January 2000 and reported on the light station's condition in July. To stabilize the bluff the Corps of Engineers provided 20,000 tons of stone, removed from another Long Island location, which was installed in 2004. East End Lighthouses is working on restoration plans; the first steps will be to restore the lantern and bring electric power to the lighthouse. Lighthouse Digest reported on these efforts in October 2004. Management of the island was transferred from the Dept. of Agriculture to the Dept. of Homeland Security in June 2003. Located at the west end of Plum Island opposite Orient Point. Visible from the Orient Point-New London, Connecticut, ferry. Site and tower closed (high security area). Owner: U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Site manager: Plum Island Animal Disease Center. ARLHS USA-606; USCG 1-21090.
Western Long Island Sound Lighthouses
Old Field Point (2): 1868 (station established 1825). Reactivated (inactive 1933-1991); focal plane 74 ft (22.5 m); flash every 12 s, alternating red and green. 35 ft (10.5 m) wood octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on 2-1/2 story granite keeper's house; FA-251 optic. Light tower and lantern painted black; granite unpainted. The original 1-story stone keeper's house (1824) is also preserved and serves as a village meeting hall. Sibling of Block Island North Light RI. Anderson has a fine page, the Scroopes have posted a historical article, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a good satellite view. The lighthouse is the residence of the village constable. Close to the edge of the bluff, it may become endangered by erosion in the future. Located near the end of Old Field Road in Old Field, Brookhaven township. Site and tower closed (no parking near the site). Visible from the Port Jefferson-Bridgeport, Connecticut, ferry. Owner/site manager: Village of Old Field. ARLHS USA-563; Admiralty J0826; USCG 1-21275.
Eaton's Neck: 1799 (John McComb). Active; focal plane 144 ft (44 m); continuous white light. 73 ft (22 m) octagonal fieldstone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to 1-story utility building. A 3° Fresnel lens (1856) is in use; it is the only active Fresnel lens on Long Island. Lighthouse painted white, lantern roof red. Fog horn (3 s blast every 30 s). The original keeper's houses were demolished in 1969 and replaced by modern Coast Guard buildings. Anderson has a good page for the lighthouse, Marinas.com has fine aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This is a treasure: one of only six 18th century lighthouses in the U.S. Some renovations were made in 1999; windows and cornices were repaired and the masonry was patched. Unfortunately, the station grounds have been closed to the public since early 2000. Lighthouse Digest has an article on life at the light station and also a more recent article. Located at the end of Lighthouse Road in Asharoken. Active Coast Guard station. Site and tower closed; group tours can be arranged. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-264; Admiralty J0872; USCG 1-21325.
** Huntington Harbor (2): 1912 (station established 1857). Active; focal plane 41 ft (12.5 m); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 42 ft (13 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story reinforced concrete keeper's house; 300 mm lens (1967). The building is unpainted concrete; lantern painted black. Fog horn (2 s blast every 15 s). Anderson has a good page for the lighthouse, Marinas.com has good aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This little lighthouse is unique in its design. Unfortunately, its interior was gutted by fire in 1947, but local preservationists have been working to restore the lighthouse since 1985. The exterior has been restored, the Coast Guard has built a new steel dock, and the interior restoration is nearly complete. The lighthouse is actually located in the entrance to Lloyd Harbor, although it also marks the entrance to the nearby Huntington Harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site generally closed (no private docking); site and tower open to guided tours on selected dates in the summer. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard. Site manager: Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society. ARLHS USA-445; Admiralty J0878; USCG 1-26530.
[Lloyd Harbor]: 1857. Inactive since 1912. The lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1947; its foundation survives. Lighthouse Explorer has a postcard image. Located on Lloyd Neck at the northern entrance to Lloyd Harbor. Site appears to be open but may be accessible only by boat. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS USA-1305.
Cold Spring Harbor (1) (relocated): 1890. Inactive since 1965. 35 ft (10.5 m) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, incorporating a very cramped keeper's quarters. The current owner, known to lighthouse fans as Lady Glen, bought it for $1 in 1965, had it towed it to her home and set it up on the lawn. Lighthouse Digest has photos in a November 1995 feature story by Sandra Shanklin. The Coast Guard has a historic photo of the light station before relocation. The Scroopes report on a May 2001 visit, and Anderson has a good page. Located in the Plum Point neighborhood of Centre Island (connected by the Centre Island Road causeway to the mainland at Bayville). Site and tower closed (gated neighborhood). Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-183.
[Cold Spring Harbor (2) (original site)]: 1965. Active; focal plane 37 ft (11 m); continuous white light (red sector covers dangerous shoal). 25 ft (8 m) square cylindrical skeletal tower mounted on the caisson of the 1890 lighthouse. Located about 100 yards (90 m) off Lloyd Beach in Cold Spring Harbor. Accessible only by boat; good view from West Neck Road. Site and tower closed. Site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. Admiralty J0880; USCG 1-26870.
* Lightship LV-112 Nantucket: 1936. Decommisioned 1975. 2-masted steel lightship, length 149 ft (45 m), beam 32 ft (10 m). Ship's hull painted red, superstructure white. The ship served all of its career, except for World War II, on the Nantucket Shoals station off Massachusetts. It is one of three surviving lightships known as Nantucket; see the Massachusetts page for the other two. The ship was at Nantucket as a museum vessel from 1976 to 1984; later it was owned by the HMS Rose Foundation and berthed at Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 2002 the lightship was sold for $1 to the National Lighthouse Museum. In October 2003 the ship was at Oyster Bay, where volunteers worked to restore its systems. Initially, the ship was supposed to remain at Oyster Bay for only six months, but its stay has been extended indefinitely. Some residents think it has worn out its welcome, but others consider it an asset to the harbor. In December 2006, the museum changed its mind about the lightship and put it back on sale for $1 to any preservation group willing to take it. The Town of Oyster Bay was considering whether to accept this offer. Current information is needed. Owner: National Lighthouse Museum. Site manager: Town of Oyster Bay. ARLHS USA-522.
Execution Rocks: 1850 (Alexander Parris). Active; focal plane 62 ft (19 m); white flash every 10 s. 60 ft (18 m) old-style round granite waveswept tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-1/2 story granite keeper's house (1868); solar-powered APRB-251 aerobeacon (1993). Lighthouse painted white with a dark brown horizontal band in the middle; lantern also painted white. Fog horn (2 s blast every 15 s). Google has a good satellite view. A sibling of Mount Desert Rock Light in Maine, this was the last of three old-style waveswept towers designed by the famous architect Alexander Parris (1780-1852). In 2007 the lighthouse was available for transfer under NHLPA; the only group expressing interest was Historically Significant Structures, a new preservation group based in Philadelphia. The red buoy seen in one of Anderson's photos is the unlighted Execution Rocks Shoal East Side Buoy, USCG 1-21455. Located on a rock reef one mile (1.6 km) north of Sands Point, near the center of the Sound. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-277; Admiralty J0916; USCG 1-21440.
Sands Point: 1809 (Noah Mason and/or Abisha Woodward). Inactive since 1922. 46 ft (14 m) octagonal early Federal brownstone tower. The original lantern was removed in 1922 but replaced later with a wooden lantern and gallery quite different from the originals. 2-1/2 story colonial style keeper's house (1868) attached to the tower by a covered passageway. The National Lighthouse Museum also has a page on the lighthouse, Anderson's page has a photo showing the large estate on which the lighthouse now stands (also shown is the modern Sands Point Daybeacon, USCG 1-21470), and Google has a satellite view. This is the 12th oldest lighthouse in the U.S., but it is certainly the least known of the early towers. The estate and lighthouse were previously owned (1927-1940) by the famous newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. In 2001 the current owners were starting to plan a restoration, but we don't know if it has been accomplished. Located at the end of NY 101 in Sands Point. Site and tower closed (private property). Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-727.

East River Lighthouses
* Throg's Neck (5): 1934 (station established 1827). Active; focal plane 60 ft (18 m); continuous red light. Approx. 56 ft (17 m) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house (1884) provides housing for a college faculty member. Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was replaced in 1835 by a "temporary" light on the wall of Fort Schuyler. A proper lighthouse, a 62 ft (19 m) pyramidal skeletal tower, was finally built in 1890, but replaced in 1905 by a 35 ft (11 m) brick tower because the taller light was found to be in the line of fire of the fort's batteries. The Coast Guard has a historic photo of the keeper's house with the pyramidal skeletal lighthouse of 1890-1905. Located on the campus of SUNY Maritime College, at the entrance to the East River from Long Island Sound, and practically in the shadow of the Throgs Neck Bridge (I-295). Site open. Owner/site manager: SUNY Maritime College. ARLHS USA-846; Admiralty J0934; USCG 1-21520.

Lower Manhattan and Upper New York Bay Lighthouses (see also New Jersey)
* Titanic Memorial: 1915. Inactive since 1967. 60 ft (18 m) round steel tower surmounted by a pole carrying a time ball, which formerly dropped each day to signal 12 noon to ships in the harbor. Entire lighthouse painted white. A closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was relocated in 1976 from the top of the Seaman's Institute on South Street to the entrance to the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan. Located at the intersection of Pearl and Hudson Streets. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: South Street Seaport Museum. ARLHS USA-1229.
**** Lightship LV-87 Ambrose: 1907. Decommissioned 1967. 2-masted steel lightship, length 113 ft (34 m), beam 29 ft (7 m). Anderson has an excellent page on the lightship, and Google has a satellite view. The ship served the Ambrose station until 1933, and then it served on the Scotland station off Sandy Hook. LV-87 is the only surviving ship of its class and one of the oldest surviving U.S. lightships. The ship has been moored at South Street Seaport since 1968. The deck was replaced in 1995. Guided tours daily (admission fee). Owner/site manager: South Street Seaport Museum. ARLHS USA-008.
* Statue of Liberty: 1886 (Auguste Bartholdi). Inactive as a lighthouse since 1902. This 305 ft (93 m) monumental sculpture certainly needs no description. The torch of the statue was originally designed as a navigation beacon, and it was so used until 1902. The Statue of Liberty is one of America's best known symbols and a very popular destination for tourists. Closed after the 9-11 attacks of 2001, the interior of the statue reopened in August 2004. Google has a satellite view. Located on Liberty Island (formerly Bedloe's Island) in New York Harbor off Jersey City. The island is actually in New Jersey waters but is administered by New York. Accessible by passenger ferry (toll) from Battery Park, Manhattan, and from Liberty State Park, Jersey City. Site and statue open daily. Owner: U.S. National Park Service. Site manager: Statue of Liberty National Monument.
Brooklyn Lighthouses
* Kingsborough Community College: 1990. Active (maintained by the college); focal plane 115 ft (35 m); white flash every 4 s. Conical skeletal tower mounted atop the 3-story circular brick Marine Academic Center. Google has a satellite view. The college has adopted the lighthouse as its logo. Located off Oriental Avenue in the Manhattan Beach section of Brooklyn, marking the north side of Rockaway Inlet. Site open. Owner/site manager: Kingsborough Community College. USCG 1-34360.
Staten Island and Lower New York Bay Lighthouses
* Fort Wadsworth: 1903. Reactivated (inactive 1965-2003, now unofficial and maintained by the National Park Service). 20 ft (6 m) cylindrical lantern, painted white, atop a 1-story square red brick workroom. No keeper's quarters. Bob Indrums has a good photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Long in disrepair, the light spent years on the Doomsday List. In 2002, Joe Esposito began a personal campaign to restore the abandoned lighthouse, and for several years he spearheaded restoration work by crews of volunteers. Unfortunately, Esposito died in 2005, several months before the tower was relit on September 24. Located on the ramparts of Battery Weed, Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, almost in the shadow of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (I-278). Site open; fort's visitor center open Wednesday through Sunday; tower closed. Owner: U.S. National Park Service. Site manager: Gateway National Recreation Area. ARLHS USA-301.

* Elm Tree (Swash Channel Range Front) (2): 1939 (station established 1856). Inactive since 1964. 65 ft (20 m) square cylindrical concrete tower with rounded corners. The tower is unpainted. The keeper's house has been demolished. Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse, a hexagonal wood tower, was deactivated and demolished in 1939. The light was moved to this bland building, which carried a green aviation beacon as well as a white navigation light for mariners. Both lights were discontinued in 1964 and the tower has been abandoned since then. Located at the southeast end of New Dorp Avenue, Staten Island, in Miller Field. Site open, tower closed. Owner: U.S. National Park Service. Site manager: Gateway National Recreation Area. ARLHS USA-272.
* New Dorp (Swash Channel Range Rear): 1856. Inactive since 1964. 40 ft (12 m) square wood cylindrical tower centered on the roof of a 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house. Google has a satellite view. The light, previously shown through a window at the top of the tower, was moved to the Staten Island Light (see below) in 1964. The present owner, John Vokral, bought the abandoned building for $32,000 in 1974 and has restored it to its original appearance. Located on Boyle Street, off Richmond Road in the Richmondtown section of Staten Island. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be viewed from the street. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-537.
* Prince's Bay (2): 1868 (station established 1828). Inactive since 1922. 40 ft (12 m) round brownstone tower with gallery, lantern removed, attached to a 2-1/2 story Gothic brownstone keeper's house. An active light (Prince's Bay Range Rear Light, focal plane 80 ft (24 m), green light, 3 s on, 3 s off) is on a short mast nearby. Google has a satellite view. For many years the keeper's house was a Catholic children's home operated by the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, and a statue of the Virgin Mary stood atop the tower. In 1999 the Trust for Public Land purchased 194 acres (78.5 ha), including the light station, from the Archdiocese of New York. Between 1999 and 2002 the state of New York paid $25 million in several installments to acquire the property as a nature preserve. If funding can be found, the lantern may be restored in the future. Lighthouse Explorer also has a good photo. Located at 6581 Hylan Boulevard near the southwestern tip of Staten Island. Site and tower closed, but the preserve is open and visitors can view the light station from nearby; there is a trail from the parking area for the preserve . Owner: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Site manager: Mount Loretto Unique Area. ARLHS USA-673; USCG 1-36190.
Hudson River Lighthouses
* Lightship LV-115 Frying Pan: 1913. Decommissioned 1965. 630-ton steel ship, originally with two masts, length 133 ft (40.5 m), beam 30 ft (9 m). The aft mast has been removed. Anderson has current photos, and Google has a satellite view. The ship served at Frying Pan Shoals off Wilmington, NC, and off the Delaware Capes. The present owner, John Krevey, rescued the ship; it had been sunk at its mooring in Whitehaven, Maryland, for three years when he bought it in 1987. The restorerd vessel is operational; the ship sailed out into the harbor for OpSail 2000. Moored at Pier 63, near 23rd Street, Manhattan, this is one of one of several historic vessels in the city's new Hudson River Park. Vessel open for special events. Owner: private. Site manager: Frying Pan Lightship Restoration. ARLHS USA-311.
** Jeffrey's Hook ("Little Red Lighthouse"): 1880 (originally at Sandy Hook Point NJ; relocated to the present site in 1921). Reactivated (inactive 1947-2002, now maintained by the City of New York); white light, 1 s on, 2 s off. 40 ft (12 m) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted red; lantern painted white; 300 mm lens. The lighthouse was made famous by a children's book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge (1942). Ann Searle has great photos of the lighthouse dwarfed by the great bridge, Anderson's page has excellent photos, and Google has a good satellite view. The tower was repainted by the New York Landmarks Conservancy in 2000. The New York Historic House Trust held a ceremony to relight the lighthouse on September 19, 2002. Located in the shadow of the George Washington Bridge (I-95) at 178th Street, Manhattan. Accessible from Lafayette Place and 181st Street by a footbridge over the West Side Highway. Site open, guided tours available in season. Owner/site manager: City of New York Parks and Recreation. ARLHS USA-408; USCG 1-37668.

*** Stony Point: 1826 (Thomas Phillips). Reactivated (inactive 1925-1995, now maintained by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission); focal plane 58 ft (18 m); white flash every 4 s. 30 ft (9 m) octagonal fieldstone tower, 4° Fresnel lens (on loan from the Hudson River Maritime Museum). 1-1/2 story stone keeper's quarters. Marinas.com has aerial photos. One of two Stony Point Lights in New York; see under Lake Ontario Lighthouses on the Upstate page for the other one. This is the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson. The Palisades Interstate Park Commission restored the exterior of the tower in 1986 and the interior in 1995. An online virtual tour is available, and Google has a satellite view. This is a very rare example of a small early nineteenth century lighthouse. Located on the west side of the river off US 9W in Stony Point. Site open mid April through October (free), tower open to tours Wednesday through Sunday. Owner: Palisades Interstate Park Commission. Site manager: Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site. ARLHS USA-923; Admiralty J1138.6; USCG 1-37895.
Esopus Island (Esopus Meadows, Middle Hudson River) (2): 1872 (station established 1839). Reactivated (inactive 1965-2003); focal plane 58 ft (18 m); white flash every 4 s. 55 ft (17 m) octagonal wood tower mounted on the roof of a 2-story mansard-style wood keeper's house. Hudson River Lights also has a page on the lighthouse, Anderson has a good page of photos and information, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. A sibling of Colchester Reef Light, Vermont. For many years the lighthouse was endangered by ice damage and erosion. Leaning dangerously, it was added to the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. A local preservation group, the save Esopus Lighthouse Commission, has been working effectively to save the lighthouse. In 2001, the lighthouse was shored up and leveled, permitting the work of restoring the interior of the building to begin. In November 2002, the state announced a grant of $45,300 to continue work on the foundation. On May 31, 2003, the light was returned to the tower from the skeletal tower where it had been displayed since 1965. Work is continuing, and the lighthouse has not been removed from the Doomsday List. Located on a tiny island west of the river channel north of Esopus; there is an excellent view from the Esopus Meadows Preserve on Ulster County route 24 about 4 miles (6 km) north of Esopus. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Save Esopus Lighthouse Commission. ARLHS USA-276; Admiralty J1140.08; USCG 1-38130.
[Rondout Creek (Kingston) (2)]: 1867 (station established 1837). Inactive since 1915. Formerly a stone tower attached to keeper's quarters. This lighthouse was demolished in 1953 after its roof collapsed; the stone foundations remain. Anderson has a photo. Located on the south side of the mouth of the creek Visible from boats. Site status and site manager unknown. ARLHS USA-1309.
**** Rondout Creek (Kingston) (3): 1915. Active; focal plane 52 ft (16 m); white flash every 6 s. 48 ft (15 m) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-1/2 story brick keeper's house; 250 mm lens. Building painted gray, lantern and gallery painted black. Anderson has a good page with photos and historical information, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was restored as a museum in 1984-88 by the City of Kingston and the Hudson River Maritime Museum. On June 19, 2002, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the City of Kingston. The city has proposed to build a pedestrian bridge to provide better access to the building; in 2007 it was seeking a federal grant to pay half the estimated $170,000 cost. Located at the end of a breakwater in the river off downtown Kingston, on the north side of Rondout Creek. The lighthouse is accessible by the museum's passenger ferry. Site open; museum and tower open Thursday through Monday, May through October (museum admission fee). Owner: City of Kingston. Site manager: Hudson River Maritime Museum. ARLHS USA-702; Admiralty J1139.8; USCG 1-38190.
** Saugerties (2): 1869 (station established 1836). Reactivated (inactive 1954-1990); focal plane 42 ft (13 m); white light occulting every 4 s. 46 ft (14 m) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story brick keeper's house. The building is unpainted red brick with white trim, lantern and gallery painted black. Anderson has a page with good photos, Lighthouse Digest has a November 2005 story on life at the station, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is in use as a bed and breakfast inn, but it is also open to day visitors. There is a small museum on the second floor; a 4° Fresnel lens of uncertain origin is displayed. Located on a circular pier just offshore in the river, the lighthouse is accessible by walking the trail through the adjacent Ruth Reynolds Glunt Nature Preserve. Site open (parking near the end of Lighthouse Street, off US 9W in Saugerties); boat shuttle (toll) and guided tours of the tower are available 2-5 pm on weekends and holidays Memorial Day (late May) through Labor Day (early September) (admission fee). Owner/site manager: Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy. ARLHS USA-739; Admiralty J1140.12; USCG 1-38375.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Coxsackie (ca. 1870-1939), Hudson River. ARLHS USA-196.
Danskammer Point (1890s-1920s), Hudson River. ARLHS USA-1188.
Fort Tompkins (1828-?), Staten Island. ARLHS USA-300.
Four Mile Point (1880-1928), Hudson River. ARLHS USA-1044.
Gardiners Point Island (1855-1894), entrance to Gardiner's Bay. ARLHS USA-1046.
Hell Gate (1888-?), East River. ARLHS USA-1215.
Port Jefferson Harbor Breakwater (1882-1950s), entrance to the harbor from Long Island Sound. ARLHS USA-1051.
Stuyvesant (1868-1933), Hudson River. ARLHS USA-824.
Van Wies Point (1854-?), Hudson River. ARLHS USA-1189.
West Point (1872-1946), Hudson River. ARLHS USA-879.

Notable faux lighthouses:

Chelsea Piers, on the Hudson in lower Manhattan, has a lighthouse, but it is not an active aid to navigation.
H.W. Wilson, a publishing company, has had a lighthouse atop its office building, just off the East River at 950 University Avenue in the Bronx, since 1929.

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index