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Historic Light Station Information
& Photography

NEW YORK

AMBROSE LIGHT

Location: APPROACH TO NEW YORK BAY
Station Established: 1823
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1996
Operational: YES
Automated: YES
Deactivated: NO, see notes below for more detailed information
Foundation Materials: STEEL PILES
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape:
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure
Original Lens: DCB 36

Historical Information:

The original Ambrose "Texas Tower" was placed in operation on 23 August 1967. The tower was automated in 1988 and was damaged beyond repair by a collision with the oil tanker Aegeo in October, 1996. The structure was then demolished and replaced with a small light tower/platform.

Photographs:

AMBROSE "TEXAS TOWER" LIGHT STRUCTURE

BARBER'S POINT LIGHT (OLD)

Location: Barber's Point, Lake Champlain, New York
Station Authorized: 1870
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1873
Operational:
Automated: 1935
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials:
Tower Shape:
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure:
Original Lens: Fifth-Order Fresnel

Historical Information:

Barber’s Point is roughly midway between Split Rock Point to the north and Crown Point to the south. This stretch of 125-mile-long Lake Champlain is quite narrow, averaging only two miles in width. Barber’s Point was thus a logical place for a ferry, and records indicate that Hezekiah Barber operated one that crossed Lake Champlain between Barber’s Point, NY and Arnold Bay (Panton), VT. The geography at Barber’s Point also made it a prime candidate for a lighthouse.
1868: the Lighthouse Board petitioned Congress for the necessary funds. A sum of $15,000 was finally allocated on July 15, 1870.
1872: Construction began after delays due to but due to difficulties in securing a valid title for the desired parcel. The Second Empire design used for the Colchester Reef Light (as well as others in the area) was reused, but executed in blue limestone rather than the more usual granite. Because of the light's isolation the keeper was provided with a barn in which to keep a horse to procure supplies for his family. Work on the lighthouse, a two-story structure with a Mansard roof and an integrated 36-foot tower, continued through the end of this year.
1873: The light made its debut at the opening of navigation on Lake Champlain. The lower story of Barber’s Point Lighthouse is faced with blue limestone blocks and originally had a brown-shingled roof. A fifth-order Fresnel lens, with a focal plane of eighty-three feet above the lake, beamed a fixed white light, which was visible for 14-¾ miles.
1935: The Barber’s Point Lighthouse was replaced by a steel skeletal tower, topped with an automatic light. The lighthouse and surrounding property were sold in 1936 and have been used as a private residence ever since. The brown-shingled roof has now been repainted a striking white with black trim. A small addition has been added to the rear of the lighthouse, and a wooden garage stands near the road. The lighthouse is included in the Camp Dudley National Historic District, just south of Westport, New York.

Researched and written by Andy Gray, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

BARCELONA (PORTLAND HARBOR) LIGHT

Location: BARCELONA HARBOR, LAKE ERIE, NEW YORK
Station Established: 1829
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1829
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1859
Foundation Materials: NATURAL EMPLACED
Construction Materials: FIELDSTONE
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: 11 LAMPS W/14-INCH REFLECTORS 1829

Historical Information:

In 1828, Congress appropriated $5,000 for the construction of a lighthouse near Portland Harbor on Lake Erie. Portland Harbor was later renamed Barcelona Harbor.
The tower was 40 feet tall and made from fieldstone. It was lit in May of 1829.
A source of natural gas was found nearby and the lighthouse was converted. It was the first US lighthouse powered by natural gas and perhaps, the first public building in the US to be powered in such a way.
In 1857 the lighthouse was fitted with a “lens apparatus”. Some reports indicate it was a fourth order Fresnel.
A railroad was constructed nearby and the need for a harbor diminished. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1859 and sold into private ownership. It remains privately owned today.
The structure was made a National Historic Landmark in 1972.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler-Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

BRADDOCK POINT LIGHT

BOGUS POINT/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1896
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1896
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1954
Deactivated: 1954
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL W/FAUX LANTERN
Markings/Pattern: RED
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD AND HALF ORDER, FRESNEL 1896

Historical Information:

Lieutenant Colonel Jared A. Smith used the Cleveland Lighthouse built in 1871 and considered by many to be one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the United States, as the basis for his plans for the Braddock Point Lighthouse. Perhaps this was because the Cleveland Lighthouse, rendered unnecessary by harbor lights, was scheduled to be torn down in 1895, making the tower’s lens, lantern room, and decorative metalwork available for use elsewhere. Both of these towers and dwellings were built in the Victorian era and definitely showed signs of the then popular architectural style.
A contract for construction of the keeper’s dwelling, tower and a wood shed for Braddock Point was approved on June 25, 1895 and called for the buildings to be completed within nine months. When finished, the octagonal, 110-foot red brick tower was nearly identical to the one at Cleveland, while the residence, though similar in style, was significantly different. The light from the tower’s third-and-a-half-order Fresnel lens was exhibited for the first time on August 17, 1896.
Around the same time as the inaugural lighting, a brick barn was completed, a 5 5/8-inch well was drilled to a depth of 105 feet (93 feet through solid rock), and a square, iron oil house was erected at the station.
In 1899, the Fresnel lens, which could be seen over an arc of 180°, was removed and replaced with a 270° lens that could be seen from all points of approach from the lake.
By 1902 in order to stop leaks in the tower it became necessary to remove and replace the entire lantern, lantern deck, parapet gallery deck and rails, and all connecting ironwork. All the ironwork was cleaned and repainted, and all joints were bedded in cement made of red and white lead. The 3 ½ order lens light was discontinued while the tower was being repaired, from May 8 to June 30, 1902, during which time a lens-lantern light was exhibited from the northern face of the tower.
Perhaps the leaks in the tower persisted for several years, as shortly after the Coast Guard deactivated the Braddock Point Lighthouse on January 1, 1954 and replaced it by a skeletal steel tower; the upper two-thirds of the tower had to be removed due to extensive structural damage. During the years immediately after the deactivation of the light, duck hunters and other trespassers mistreated the vacant dwelling. Windows were knocked out, exposing the interior to the weather, and soon the structure was knee-deep in plaster and broken glass.
The dwelling, 30-foot tower, 4.7 acres of land, 1,200 feet of lakefront, and the carriage house were sold to Walter and Kay Stone 1957.
In 1986, Robert and Barbara Thulin purchased the lighthouse property and, after two years of planning, initiated what turned into an eight-year renovation. Structural walls, pocket doors, wainscoting, and moldings were all replaced to return the lighthouse to its former grandeur.
In 1995, the tower was rebuilt to a height of sixty-five feet, and after receiving the Coast Guard’s approval the lighthouse was relit in 1996.
In 2006, the 3,000-square-foot home along with the tower, an 1,800-square-foot carriage house, and a six-car garage were placed on the market.
In 2008, the was purchased by Donald and Nandy Town who opened the keeper's dwelling as Braddock Point Bed & Breakfast in 2010.

Researched and written by Andy Gray, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

BRADDOCK POINT LIGHT

BUFFALO (MAIN) LIGHT

MOUTH OF BUFFALO RIVER/ERIE CANAL; DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE ERIE BASIN MARINA, UNDERNEATH THE SKYWAY IN DOWNTOWN BUFFALO
Station Established: 1818; rebuilt 1833
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1833
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1914
Foundation Materials: STONE MOLEHEAD
Construction Materials: LIMESTONE/CAST IRON
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Height:    60-feet
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Characteristics:
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1857
Foghorn:    None

Historical Information:

This 60-foot tall, octagonal limestone structure is the oldest still standing in its original location in the city of Buffalo. It replaced the original 1818 light on this site along the Lake Erie shore at the mouth of the Buffalo River. Presently, it is part of an outdoor museum located on the grounds of the U.S. Coast Guard Station.

Photographs:

BUFFALO LIGHT

BUFFALO HARBOR NORTH ENTRANCE LIGHT

Historical North Tower

Location: Northern entrance of Buffalo’s Stony Point breakwater.
Station Established: 1903.
Year Original Tower First Lit: 1903
Operational: No
Automated:1960.
Deactivated: Yes, 1985. Tower moved in 1985
Foundation Material: Stone filled crib, concrete pier.
Construction Material: Boiler plate/cast iron.
Tower Shape: Bottle. Measures 10.75 feet at bottom and 2.25 feet at top. Four cast iron port windows and curved iron door.
Tower Height: 29 feet
Markings/Pattern: White
Relationship with Other Structures: Separate
Original Optic: Sixth Order Fresnel
Year Original Optic Installed: 1903
Characteristics: Flashing green visible for 13 miles.
Replacement Optic: 300 mm lens
Year Replacement Optic Installed: 1960
Ownership: Buffalo Lighthouse Association.
Open to the Public: Yes

Current North Tower

Location: Northern entrance of Buffalo’s Stony Point breakwater.
Station Established: Tower constructed in 1985.
Operational: Yes
Automated: Yes
Deactivated: No
Foundation Material: concrete breakwater pier.
Construction Material: Pole.
Tower Shape: Pole Light

Historical Information:

In the latter part of the ninetieth century ship traffic to Buffalo necessitated expansion of the Buffalo harbor and a new breakwater was constructed south of the main harbor.
At the turn of the last century funds were appropriated for construction of light stations to mark the new breakwater.
In 1903 two identical lights shaped like a bottle were placed on breakwaters marking openings to the harbor. One of the bottle lights was placed at the north side of the southern entrance to the harbor.
The bottle light was made of cast iron riveted together and painted white.
The bottle light was removed and placed on display near the 1833 Old Main Buffalo Lighthouse inside the Buffalo Coast Guard Base.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, August 4, 1983.
Maintained by keepers from the Buffalo Main Light. Restored to its 1903 configuration with a reconstructed ventilator dome.

Researched and written by Ed Shaw, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

BUFFALO HARBOR NORTH ENTRANCE LIGHT

BUFFALO HARBOR SOUTH ENTRANCE LIGHT

Historical South Tower:

Location: Southern entrance of Buffalo’s Stony Point breakwater near the site of the former Bethlehem Steel mill.
Station Established: September 15, 1903.
Year Original Tower First Lit: 1903
Operational: No.
Automated: Yes, 1935.
Deactivated: Yes, 1993. Original tower inactive.
Foundation Material: Timber crib with concrete pier.
Construction Material: Cast Iron
Tower Height: 43.5 feet
Tower Shape: Cylinder base with a conical midsection with a round lantern room. Black circular outside walkway with railing around lantern room. Glass in lantern room in diamond shape.
Markings/Pattern: original base was colored brown with white midsection and black roof on white lantern room.
Relationship to Other Structure: Adjacent with enclosed passage way to fog signal house. Arched roof on fog signal house.
Original Optic: Fourth Order Fresnel lens.
Focal Plane: 40 feet.
Replacement Optic: 300mm optic attached to tower gallery railing. Replacement optic: removed from lighthouse. Current light on pole.
Open to the public: No

Current South Tower:

Location: Light on pole on breakwater adjacent to original tower.
Year Current Light First Lit: 1993.
Operational: Yes.
Automated: Yes.
Focal plane: 36 feet
Characteristic: Blinking red light from a 300mm plastic optic. Red light on post with orange triangle day marks.
Current use: Active aid to navigation. Open to the public? No
Ownership: U. S. Coast Guard

Historical Information:

In the latter part of the Ninetieth Century ship traffic to Buffalo necessitated expansion of the Buffalo harbor and a new breakwater was constructed south of the main harbor.
At the turn of the last century funds were appropriated for construction of light stations to mark the new breakwater.
The southern light was near the Lackawanna Steel plant, which became under the ownership of Bethlehem Steel in 1992.
Original Fourth Order Fresnel lens was removed and installed in Buffalo’s Old Main Lighthouse and relit in 1988.
A fog signal with compressed air was completed in the fall of 1904. Original fog signal was replaced with an air diaphone. Fog signal is not operational.
National Register of Historic Places, November 16, 2007.
July 2008 the lighthouse was offered to qualified groups through the Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Application of Buffalo Lighthouse Association approved.

Keepers

Delos Hayden (1903)
Edward Van Natta (1903-04)
John Burns (1904)
George Codding (1904-1913)

Researched and written by Ed Shaw, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Source: Larry and Patricia Wright, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia, Erin, Ontario; Boston Mills Press, 2006

Photographs:

BUFFALO HARBOR SOUTH ENTRANCE LIGHT

BUFFALO NORTH BREAKWATER SOUTH END LIGHT

RELOCATED FROM NORTH HARBOR ENTRANCE; SITS ON DISPLAY NEAR THE BUFFALO MAIN LIGHT ON THE GROUNDS OF THE COAST GUARD STATION AT THE END OF FUHRMAN BLVD. (BUFFALO WATERFRONT)
Station Established: 1903
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1903
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1960
Deactivated: 1985
Foundation Materials: STONE FILLED CRIB
Construction Materials: BOILER PLATE/CAST IRON
Tower Shape: BOTTLE
Height: 29-feet
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Characteristics:
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1903
Foghorn: None

Historical Chronology:

1903: The original lens was installed in 1903 and was a sixth order Fresnel
1960: The light was automated in 1960.
1985: The light was deactivated in 1985.
2000: Lighthouse is open to the public and managed by the Buffalo Lighthouse association, Inc. There are no existing keepers quarters on existing sound signal building.

Chronology was researched and written by Diane Hackney.

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

CAPE VINCENT BREAKWATER EAST END LIGHT

Location: Cape Vincent, NY
Station Established: 1900
Year Current Tower First Lit: 1901
Operational:
Automated:
Deactivated: 1934
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials:
Tower Shape:
Height: 15’
Markings/Pattern: white
Relationship to Other Structure: detached
Original Lens: Fifth order fresnel lens
Appropriation: $5,000

Historical Information:

August 31, 1901: two fixed red lights were placed on the completed portion of the breakwater being built in the Saint Lawrence River. It was to protect vessels traveling through the harbor at Cape Vincent. The temporary beacons were lens lanterns placed on mast that protruded from a small house.
The light keeper at this time lived in a dwelling he rented in town. He reached the light by a small boat, which was stored in a rented boathouse. The Lighthouse Board requested that a dwelling and boathouse be built on conveniently located land. A $5,000 appropriation was requested to procure a proper site and construct the buildings.
According to the 1907 Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board, the eastern beacon was moved 500 feet toward the eastern end of the breakwater. A lifeline was installed on the eastern end of the breakwater to be used by the keeper in case of a storm. It was made of 7/8 inch cable and supported by two-inch wrought-iron pipe posts spaced ten feet apart.
The temporary breakwater lights were replaced by squat white towers, and were topped by octagonal lantern rooms. A Fifth-order Fresnel lens was installed in the tower. The sole surviving tower was removed from the breakwater and relocated to its current location in 1951.

Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

CAPE VINCENT BREAKWATER EAST END LIGHT

CAPE VINCENT BREAKWATER WEST END LIGHT

Location: ON BREAKWATER
Station Established: 1901
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1904
Operational:
Automated:
Deactivated:
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: White square enclosed structure
Height: 26 feet
Original Lens: Fifth Order
Characteristic: Flashing red, dark sector; illuminated 307° of the horizon; dark sectors lying towards shore (as of 1941)
Fog Signal: None

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

CEDAR ISLAND LIGHT (OLD)

Location: SAG HARBOR, GARDINERS BAY, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
Station Established: 1839
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1868
Operational: NO
Automated: 1934
Deactivated: 1934
Foundation Materials: MASONRY PIER
Construction Materials: GRANITE
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: UNPAINTED GRANITE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER FRESNEL, 1855

Historical Information:

The original lighthouse built on Cedar Island was a 35 foot wood framed tower. It was built to guide ships into Sag Harbor. In 1855, the original lamp was replaced with a sixth order Fresnel lens.
The iron work needed to support a sixth order lens is heavy and the wooden tower was found to be inadequate. In 1868, the current structure was built.
The integral keeper’s quarters are L-shaped with the 40 foot tower tucked into the bend. The lens from the wooden tower was placed in the new tower.
In 1938 Cedar Island became Cedar Point when a hurricane created a sandbar that connected the island to the mainland. The lighthouse had been deactivated in 1934.
The lighthouse has fallen victim to vandals and time. A fire in 1974 severely damaged the interior. The roof was replaced and the windows bricked over.
There is interest in restoring the structure. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 and the oil house, built in 1902, was restored in 2004.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler-Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

COLD SPRING HARBOR LIGHT

RELOCATED TO LONG ISLAND/ORIG. ON POINT OF SHOAL; ENTRANCE TO COLD SPRING HARBOR
Station Established: 1890
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1890
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1965
Foundation Materials: CAST IRON/CONCRETE CAISSON
Construction Materials: ORIG. WOOD
Tower Shape: SKELETAL/ORIG. SQUARE PYRAMIDAL
Height: 35-FOOT TOWER ON A CAISSON, 44 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL
Markings/Pattern: ORIG. WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Characteristics: Fixed red light

Historical Chronology:

1875, March 3: $20,000 was appropriated for the construction of the light.
1889 Construction of the light was started.
1890 The finished lighthouse was built on a caisson in Cold Spring Harbor.
1890, January 31: The light was first lit.
1919: An inspection of the light revealed $12,800 in damage was done to the light by ice.
1929: The light was refitted with an oil vapor lamp.
1965: The light was deactivated and moved to private property. A local resident saved the light from destruction by purchasing the light for $1 and moving it to her property where the light still resides.

Chronology was researched and written by Diane Hackney.

Photographs:

COLD SPRING HARBOR LIGHT

CONEY ISLAND (NORTONS POINT) LIGHT

NEW YORK HARBOR MAIN CHANNEL
Station Established: 1890
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1920
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1989
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: STEEL PILE
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape: SKELETAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1890

Historical Information:

The growing popularity of Coney Island meant increased ferry traffic to deliver people there. A lighthouse was needed to guide boats headed for the island’s piers, and also to direct garbage barges to their dumping grounds nearby. In 1889, Congress approved $25,000 to build two range lights at the western end of Coney Island. However, when the Lighthouse Board tried to buy the necessary land for the new lighthouse, the property owners asked for twice the estimated value of the land. The properties were condemned instead and obtained for $3,500.
The front light was an 18-foot high square wooden tower, standing on four concrete footings. That light was dismantled only six years later. The rear light was a square skeleton tower with a steel column containing 87 steps in the center. The tower is identical to the former lighthouse at Throg’s Neck. In fact, they literally took the plans for that tower, crossed out “Throg’s Neck” and wrote “Coney Island” above it. The tower was slightly over 61 feet, with an eight-sided lantern at the top. The Coney Island Lighthouse marks the rocks of the appropriately named Gravesend Bay at the Narrows, the entrance to Upper New York Bay.
The accompanying keeper’s dwelling was also copied from another station, in this case the Gould Island Light in Rhode Island. Once again, they took the plans, crossed out the word “Gould,” and wrote in “Coney.” The building had two floors, plus a cellar and an attic. A shed was attached, via a covered walkway, to one side of the building, and a water cistern was built in back. A gravel path led to the shoreline, connecting the dwelling, the lighthouse tower, and the fog bell building.
The original beacon, first lit on August 1, 1890 by Keeper Thomas Higgenbotham, was a fourth-order Fresnel lens powered by kerosene, showing a flashing red light. That lens was removed when the station was automated in 1989, and is now on display at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C. The beacon casts a beam 71 feet above sea level, and is visible for over fourteen miles.
In 1915, a 600-foot stone wall was put up for protection, but a large storm six months later undermined much of the wall.
In 1918, the fog bell building fell over into the water. Another skeleton tower for a fog bell was built and surrounded by several tons of riprap.
The last civilian keeper at Coney Island Lighthouse was Frank Schubert, who began his lighthouse career in 1938 aboard the buoy tender Tulip. He followed that with time at the offshore Old Orchard Lighthouse, and then was assigned to the Army Transportation Service during World War II. After the war, he served as the keeper of three lights at Governors Island. While stationed there, his wife, Marie, and their three children lived on Staten Island.
In 1960, Schubert accepted an assignment to the Coney Island Light as his family would finally be able to live with him at the station to which he was assigned. Keeper Shubert’s duties included tending the light and the 1,000-pound fog bell. When he could no longer see Hoffman and Swinburne Islands, he would turn the bell on.
Schubert had other talents and hobbies to keep him busy, including golfing, bowling, cooking, and woodworking, among others. Even with all that, the family apparently seldom left the station; in a 1986 interview, Schubert said that “We haven’t been to the movies since 1946, and we haven’t taken a vacation in 20 years.”
When the station was automated in 1989, he was allowed to stay on as a caretaker, continuing to climb the 87 steps to the lantern every day to perform required maintenance duties. During his years of service, Shubert was credited with saving the lives of fifteen sailors and was invited for a visit to the White House by President George H. W. Bush. He and his dog, Blazer, remained on duty until December 11 of 2003, when Schubert passed away at the age of 88 as the last of the Coast Guard’s civilian lighthouse keepers [note: he was the last at the time of his death but the Coast Guard has since hired a civilian "keeper" at the Boston Light].
Schubert's lighthouse career lasted 65 years, including the final 43 years at Coney Island Lighthouse.

Researched and written by Andy Gray, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

CONEY ISLAND LIGHT

COXSACKIE LIGHT

Location: Near Coxsackie, New York on northerly end of the low island on the westerly side of the main channel of the Hudson River.
Station Established: 1830
Year Tower for below building First Lit: 1868
Operational: No
Automated: No
Deactivated: Yes, 1940.
Tower Shape: Red square tower with granite trimmings attached to brick keepers house, which had similar trimmings.
Tower Height: 32 feet.
Foundation Material: Stone.
Construction Material: Brick
Markings/Pattern: Black lantern room.
Original Lens: Sixth Order Fresnel
Characteristic: Fixed white light
Fog Signal: No

Historical Information:

Lighthouse was destroyed in 1940.

Researched and written by Ed Shaw, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

COXSACKIE LIGHT

CROSSOVER ISLAND LIGHT

Location: Chippewa Bay, NY
Station Established: 1847
Year Current Tower First Lit:
Operational:
Automated:
Deactivated: 1941
Foundation Materials: concrete pad with brick lining
Construction Materials: iron, wood
Tower Shape:
Height: 30’
Markings/Pattern: originally brown, changed to white by 1899
Relationship to Other Structure: detached
Original Lens: Fourth order Fresnel lens
Appropriation: $6,000

Historical Information:

Prior to the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway, Crossover Island was named due to its location near the point where vessels crossed over the international boundary between the United States and Canada.
In 1838, Naval Lieutenant C.T. Platt recommended to the Secretary of Treasury that a lighthouse be erected at Crossover Island, due to the fact that it would be difficult to travel through the area. He stated that there were numerous shoals and sunken islands obstructing the navigation in this area. He suggested that a building be erected with a light on top of the dwelling.
Congress appropriated $6,000 in 1847 to construct three lighthouses to mark the Thousand Islands area of St. Lawrence River. The easternmost of these was Crossover Island. Rock Island was the westernmost light in this area, and Sunken Rock was in the middle at the end of the narrows near Alexandria Bay.
The design for Crossover Island Light may be the same layout that was used at Rock Island. The keepers dwelling consisted of a one and a half story brick building with a wooden lantern centered atop a pitched roof. The first keeper was Obed Robeson, and he was appointed on May 15, 1848 at an annual salary of $350.
In 1869, much work was added and completed to the lighthouse grounds. A boathouse and ways were added, shutters were placed on the windows, the interior plastering and chimneys were renewed, and exterior walls were sheathed with boards. They had been constructed of an inferior materiel known as “soft brick.” These repairs were more costly than normal due to the isolated location of the lighthouse. This only temporarily improved the life for the keeper.
1872: Reports of leaking from the tower; tower and dwelling were described as being in very bad condition and not worth repairing. Funds for a new lighthouse were requested.
1882: A new keeper’s dwelling was finally erected in a similar style as the lights at Tibbett’s Point, New York and Marblehead, Ohio. The dwelling is a two-story, six-room home. The dwelling has three gables, and was originally decorated with heavy cross-timbers and adorned with finials.
A detached iron tower, which was similar to the light at Sunken Rock, was placed on a concrete pad and lined with brick to the first landing. Wood covered the rest of the tower. A sixth-order Fresnel lens replaced the fourth-order Fresnel lens, and the old lens was shipped to another station. The tower was originally brown, but was painted white before the opening of navigation in 1899.
A cistern located in the cellar of the keeper’s dwelling stored rainwater, but this was not always sufficient for water usage. In 1884, a 25 foot deep well was sunk and equipped with a pump.
A stone and concrete seawall was built along the southern side of the island. Behind the seawall, 300 cubic yards of earth were brought in to create a lawn for the front yard of the keeper’s dwelling.
Daniel Hill became keeper of the Crossover Island Light in March 1909. He held the position for over 22 years. He and his wife Cora raised seven children on the island. One of his sons, Ralph E. Hill, has written extensively about his childhood experiences on the island. The island was not equipped with a telephone, TV, radio, gas, electricity, central heating, indoor plumbing, or running water. After spending one full winter on the exposed island, Daniel Hill purchased some land at Oak Point and built a cottage so his family could live more comfortably. A furnace was installed at the dwelling four years before it was abandoned.
During school months, Keeper Hill would row his children to the mainland where they were educated in a one-room schoolhouse. During the summer, the children would spend a lot of their time swimming, fishing, and exploring some of the nearby islands and creeks.
The Hills left Crossover Island at the end of 1931. The lighthouse was active for one more decade before being discontinued on April 10, 1941. In 1960, the government sold the lighthouse as surplus property, and in 1969, the Dutchers purchased the property. The island was sold again in 2002 to John Urtis.

Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

CROSSOVER ISLAND LIGHT

CROWN POINT LIGHT

Location: LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Station Established:
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit:
Operational:
Automated:
Deactivated:
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern:
Height:
Original Lens:
Characteristic:
Fog Signal:

Historical Information:

In 1858 a light was placed on a 7-acre site at Crown Point, on Lake Champlain, near the historic Grenadier Battery, historic ruins of French and English fortifications. The base of the tower was 57 feet above water and the focal plane was 86 feet above water level. A fixed fifth-order, white light was there in 1894.

In 1888 a steamboat wharf had been built to accommodate visitors by water to the fortifications. In 1926 the light was discontinued and the site conveyed to the State of New York. The States of New York and Vermont, as part of the commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the discovery of the lake by Samuel de Champlain, removed the old tower and built in its stead an ornamental cylindrical tower of cut granite blocks, surrounded by eight Doric columns. On the pedestal is an heroic group in bronze with Champlain as the central figure, presented by the Republic of France.

Photographs:

CROWN POINT LIGHT

CUMBERLAND HEAD LIGHT (OLD)

Location: CUMBERLAND BAY, LAKE CHAMPLAIN, NEAR PLATTSBURG, NEW YORK
Station Established: 1838
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1868
Operational: NO
Automated: YES
Deactivated: 1934
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE/LIMESTONE
Construction Materials: LIMESTONE
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1856

Historical Information:

The original Cumberland Head Lighthouse was built on the spot of a historic battle in the War of 1812. It was built in 1838 and housed eleven lamps with reflectors. The lamps were replaced 1856 with a fourth order Fresnel lens.
In 1867, the tower was taken down. The materials were then transported a short distance and reassembled. The tower now stood at 50 feet and housed the original Fresnel lens. It was attached to a gothic style keeper’s dwelling. It was lit on November 1, 1868.
A skeletal tower was built in 1934 to replace the lighthouse and the limestone tower was deactivated. In 1948 a couple moved into the keeper’s quarters and restored it. They maintained the lighthouse for 50 years. The property was sold again to a private owner.
The lens was returned to the tower in 2003 and once again, it became an active aid to navigation. The tower was incorporated into Plattsburg’s official seal in 1984.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler-Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

CUMBERLAND HEAD LIGHT

DUNKIRK (POINT GRATIOT) LIGHT

POINT GRATIOT/LAKE ERIE
Station Established: 1826
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1875
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1960
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE
Construction Materials: RUBBLESTONE ENCASED IN BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: UPPER 2/3S WHITE/LOWER NATURAL/RED LANTERN.
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1857

Historical Background:

The lighthouse was established in 1826 at Point Gratiot and includes: a foundation made out of dressed stone; a lighthouse made out of rubblestone encased in brick; a square shaped tower with the upper two thirds being white and the lower one third being natural; and a red lantern housing.
The original lens is a third order Fresnel lens installed in 1857 and is still in operation.
In 1875-1876, a 61-foot stone tower and a beautiful Victorian residence were constructed to replace the original tower, which was threatened by erosion. These structures still stand today. Bricks from the original keeper's house formed the foundation for the new house. The old cylindrical tower was moved adjacent to the new keeper's residence. A square tower was built around the old tower "to be more compatible with the keeper's house and was lit.
The lighthouse was automated in 1960 and is still operational and being still in use makes it a rarity. Only 70 such lenses are operational in the United States, 16 being on the Great Lakes of which two are in New York.
In 1984, the grounds of the lighthouse were leased by the Coast Guard to the Chatauqua County Armed Forces Memorial Park Corporation, a non-profit organization. The lighthouse and grounds are now The Dunkirk Lighthouse Museum.

Researched and written by Andy Gray, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

DUNKIRK LIGHT

DUNKIRK PIERHEAD LIGHT

Location: On a pier at the channel end of the west pier, southwesterly side of the entrance to Dunkirk Harbor, southerly shore of Lake Erie, New York.
Historical Lights
Station Established: 1827.
Year Original Tower First Lit: 1829
Operational: No
Automated: No
Deactivated: Historical lights no longer existing, or relocated.
Tower Shape: Brick (original light), Wood (replacement light) 1895, Square skeletal pyramidal steel tower (1939).
Tower Height: Skeletal tower was 65 feet.
Foundation Material: Stone pier
Construction Material: Markings/Pattern: 1895 light: white tower with white lantern room; 1939 light: skeletal steel tower.
Original Lens: 1857 Sixth Order Fresnel lens
Fog Signal: No

Current Light:

Light Established: 1992
Operational: Yes
Tower Shape: White cylindrical tower with red horizontal band.
Tower Height:
Characteristic: Red flash every 6 seconds
Focal Plane: 35 feet.
Current use: Active aid to navigation.
Open to Public: Grounds only.
Ownership: U.S. Coast Guard

Historical Information:

In 1827 Congress appropriated funds for a breakwater at Dunkirk Harbor and a light to mark the pier’s end.
The piers first lighthouse was an octagonal tapering brick tower with brick cornice to support an octagonal gallery, and a polygonal lantern.
In 1895 the first tower was destroyed by ice. The next tower was a square pyramidal tower with clapboards, a square gallery, and polygonal lantern.
A catwalk was provided from the lighthouse to the shore for keeper access.
1939 skeletal steel tower became the third light at location.
The skeletal steel tower was relocated to the Dunkirk Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum.
In 1992 the pierhead light was replaced with a beacon on a cylindrical tower.

Researched and written by Ed Shaw, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

1895 DUNKIRK BREAKWATER LIGHT

EAST CHARITY SHOALS LIGHT

Location: Cape Vincent, NY
Station Established: 1929
Year Current Tower First Lit: 1877
Operational: yes
Automated: 1939
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: concrete
Construction Materials: cast iron
Tower Shape: octagonal
Height: 16’
Markings/Pattern: white with black lantern
Relationship to Other Structure:
Original Lens: fifth order Fresnel lens
Appropriation: $95,125

Historical Information:

Originally served at Vermilion Station from 1877 to 1929. It was removed after damaged in an ice storm.
The steamship Rosedale was built in Sunderland, England in 1888. Her maiden run completed the first ever direct voyage went through the St. Lawrence River, from London to Chicago. This was a great accomplishment, as it proved that grains from the elevators in Chicago, and other ports on the Great Lakes, could be shipped from London without transshipment. Unfortunately, on December 5, 1897, the Rosedale grounded upon the rocks of East Charity Shoal during a northwest gale. The vessel was abandoned to her underwriters, but was eventually towed off by a wrecking company. It was eventually rebuilt and returned to service.
During the summer of 1900, John C. Churchill, Jr. visited the site of the light to survey and chart the outlying spur known as East Charity Shoal. This hazard lay in the line of transit for vessels traveling the St. Lawrence River. The area was about 3,000 feet long at some points, which was covered by only ten feet of water. Mr. Churchill stated that “Notice is hereby given that a nun buoy painted red and numbered 2 has been placed in twenty feet of water to mark the easterly edge of East Charity shoal, Lake Ontario, New York. This buoy is about 1 3/8 miles E.S.E. of Charity shoal gas buoy. It is recommended that vessels bound to and from the main channel of the St. Lawrence River, and using the passage between Galloo and Main Duck Islands, should keep to the eastward of this buoy.” This buoy didn’t prevent all mishaps. In October 1912, the steamer Rock Ferry ran aground on East Charity Shoal, and tugs aided in an attempt to free her. The Lighthouse Service eventually decided a more permanent method of marking the shoal needed to be put in place. In May 1934, newspapers in the upstate New York region advertised that sealed proposals would be accepted by the Superintendent of Lighthouses in Buffalo for a “timber crib-concrete superstructure” on East Charity Shoal.
The Walls Company was selected as the contractor for the project. On November 24, 1934, the company completed enough of the structure so that a temporary light could be established on the south side of the crib. The foundation was a fifty foot square crib, which varied between eleven and fourteen feet to fit the shoal. The crib was constructed ashore in an inverted position, and was launched, righted and towed to the site. It was sunk in place using the stone and interlocking blocks of pre-cast concrete. A reinforced concrete slab was placed over the entire pier, which was also of reinforced concrete and octagonal in form. This was built to support an octagonal iron tower. A central room in the concrete pier measures tweny by forty-four feet. The deckhouse stands at eleven-and-a-half feet tall and the diameter is roughly twenty feet. The top of the concrete pier stands at approximately eighteen feet above lake level.
The tower was installed on the deckhouse in 1935. A fourth-order Fresnel lens was placed in the lantern room and a 1,300 candlepower light was installed at a focal plane of fifty-two feet above low water depth. Acetylene was used as the illuminant.
The iron tower at East Charity Shoal has served at two stations and on two different Great Lakes. It was first installed in 1877 at the end of a pier in Vermilion, Ohio. It marked the entrance to the Vermilion River from Lake Erie. After the light served this location for over fifty years, two teenage brothers, who lived next to the harbor, discovered the lighthouse had developed a lean after the pier had been damaged by an ice storm. The father of the boys contacted the Lighthouse Service, and not long after, the heavy tower was replaced by a much lighter automated tower.
Years after the beacon was taken away, Ted Wakefield, one of the two boys who had noticed the lean, led a fundraising drive to build a replica of the 1877 tower for the museum grounds. During the summer of 1991, his dream was realized when a crane lifted the newly cast tower onto its prepared foundation overlooking Lake Erie.
For years, the fate of the 1877 lighthouse was unknown. Most Vermilionites thought it ended up on the scrap heap, but the answer presented itself to the town of Vermilion when Olin M. Stevens, of Columbus, Ohio, visited the Inland Seas Maritime Museum. Stevens was seeking information on his grandfather, Olin W. Stevens, who was a third generation lighthouse keeper. Stevens was searching for information on his ancestors to pass on to his grandchildren, and while searching an old trunk, he discovered a newspaper article that told about the service his grandfather provided at Tibbetts Point Lighthouse. An excerpt from the article read, “Although this is his first duty on Lake Ontario, Charity Shoal light, visible from the Tibbett's Point headland, is an old friend. The tower upholding the gas lamp on Charity formerly was under Keeper Stevens’ charge at Vermilion, near Lorain. Victim of an ice shove, it was salvaged and taken to Buffalo, where it was assigned to Charity.”
East Charity Shoal Lighthouse was never manned, however, it was responsible for saving at least one life. Dr. Joseph G. Reidel, a 37 year old physician from Syracuse, was sailing with his wife and another couple on Lake Ontario on August 5, 1955. Wind gusts of approximately 70mph stuck their dragon class sloop and caused Dr. Reidel to be washed overboard. He was able to tread water and keep sight of the boat while his wife and friends tried to rescue him. Their efforts were unsuccessful, and Dr. Reidel was presumed lost. As night fell, Dr. Reidel noticed the glint of the lighthouse and swam towards it. He struggled for 40 minutes to stay afloat, despite leg cramps and swallowing lots of water, but managed to pull himself up onto the pier at East Charity Shoal. He fell asleep after the trying ordeal, and was rescued at 5:30 am the following morning by three fishermen. He was eventually taken to Cape Vincent, where he was reunited with his wife and friends.
In July 2008, the lighthouse was declared surplus by the Coast Guard. Pursuant to the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 it was "made available at no cost to eligible entities defined as federal, state and local agencies, non-profit corporations, educational agencies, or community development organizations for education, park, recreation, cultural, or historic preservation purposes." Qualified parties had until September 23, 2008 to submit a letter of interest. No qualified organization was found, so an online auction for the light was initiated on May 5, 2009. The lighthouse eventually sold on August 27, 2009 to Cyrena Nolan.

Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

EAST CHARITY SHOALS LIGHT

EATONS NECK LIGHT

EAST SIDE OF HUNTINGTON BAY ENTRANCE, EATONS NECK
Station Established: 1798
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1799
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1968
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: FIELDSTONE W/BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL PYRAMIDAL
Height: 73 feet
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED ROOF
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Characteristics: Fixed white light
Original Lens: 12 Lamps, 13" Reflectors (1838); replaced with Third Order Fresnel

Historical Chronology:

1798, March 14: $13,250 was appropriated for the lighthouse to be built.
1798, June 16: Ten acres were bought from John Gardiner for $500.
1798, July 2: President John Adams authorized construction of the light.
1798, December 6: Construction of the lighthouse was completed.
1799, January 1: The light was first lit.
1837: An inspection found the light to be defective. The light was not visible at 10 miles.
1838: Twelve lamps with 13-inch reflectors were installed to improve the visibility of the light.
1842: 9-inch reflectors were installed.
1850: Thirteen lamps with 15-inch reflectors were installed.
1858: A new lantern and a third order Fresnel lens were installed.
1867, March 2: Congress approved funds needed to renovate the lighthouse.
1868: Renovations completed included the replacing the old wooden stairs with iron stairs with landings, the interior walls were lined with brick, the keeper's quarters were expanded and the steam fog signal was installed.
1880: The keeper's quarters were renovated.
1907: The oil lamp was replaced with an oil vapor lamp.
1921: The light was electrified.
1961: The light was automated.
2002: The light is a Coast Guard active aid to navigation.

Chronology was researched and written by Diane Hackney.

Photographs:

EATONS NECK LIGHT WITH THE ORIGINAL KEEPER'S HOUSE

CURRENT EATONS NECK LIGHT STATION

ELM TREE BEACON (SWASH CHANNEL FRONT RANGE LIGHT)

Location: MILLER FIELD, EASTERN SHORE OF STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK
Station Established: 1856
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1939
Operational: NO
Automated: YES
Deactivated: 1964
Foundation Materials: UNKNOWN
Construction Materials: WOODEN TOWER
Tower Shape: OCTAGANOL
Markings/Pattern: BOTTOM AND TOP OF TOWER WHITE, MIDDLE RED
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER LENS

Historical Information:

An elm tree marked the entrance to the New York Harbor. When a lighthouse was built on the site it was naturally named Elm Tree Lighthouse.
Lit in 1856, the wooden skeletal tower had a third order lens. The keeper’s dwelling was next to the tower. The tower was part of range lights with the New Dorp Lighthouse located 1.8 miles away.
By 1899, the Swash Channel, which the lighthouse marked, had moved its course. The lighthouse needed to be moved.
In 1939 the light was moved from the wooden skeletal tower to a 65 foot concrete tower on Miller Airfield and a sixth order lens was installed. The wooden tower was then torn down.
The range lights were replaced with channel markers and deactivated in 1964.
Miller Field was decommissioned in 1969 and ownership of the land transferred to the National Park Service. The land was turned into recreational use with several ball fields. The concrete tower and a hangar still stand on the sight.
The channel is now marked by Staten Island Light and West Bank Light.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler-Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

ELM TREE BEACON LIGHT WITH WOODEN TOWER

ELM TREE BEACON, 1939 CONCRETE STRUCTURE

ESOPUS MEADOWS (MIDDLE HUDSON RIVER) LIGHT

WEST SIDE OF HUDSON RIVER
Station Established: 1839
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1872
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1965
Deactivated: 1965
Foundation Materials: GRANITE PIER
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL ON SQUARE HOUSE
Height: 52 feet (1871 light)
Markings/Pattern: WHITE HOUSE W/RED MANSARD ROOF
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1872

Historical Chronology:

1838: For $1.00 the land needed for the lighthouse was ceded to the US government by the town of Esopus. The government appropriated $6,000 to build the light.
1839: The light was first lit. This lighthouse was a twin to the Roundout II lighthouse further north up the Hudson River.
1867: The lighthouse was described to be in poor condition due to damage from floods and ice.
1870: Money for a new lighthouse was appropriated.
1871: The new lighthouse was completed. It was the only Hudson River lighthouse with a wooden frame and a clapboard exterior.
1872: The new lighthouse was first lighted.
1939: The US Coast Guard acquired the lighthouse.
1965: The lighthouse was closed.
1979, May 29: The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1990: The Save Esopus Lighthouse Commission was created to restore and preserve the lighthouse. The Coast Guard leased the lighthouse to the group.
2002: Restoration and preservation work on the lighthouse still continues. Recent efforts have been made to fix the cracked foundation.

Chronology was researched and written by Diane Hackney.

Photographs:

ESOPUS MEADOWS LIGHT

EXECUTION ROCKS LIGHT

WEST END LONG ISLAND SOUND
Station Established: 1849
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1850
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1979
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: GRANITE W/BRICK LINING
Height: 60 feet tall with a focal plane of 62 feet
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BROWN BAND MIDWAY
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Characteristics: Flash every 10 seconds
Original Lens: Fourth Order Fresnel, 1856

Historical Chronology:

1847, March: Congress appropriated $25,000 for the light to be built.
1849, May: Construction was completed.
1850: The lighthouse was first lit.
1856: A fourth order Fresnel lens was installed.
1868: The keeper's quarters were added. The keeper no longer had to live in the cramped space inside the tower.
1918. December 8: A fire with an unknown origin caused $13,500 in damages. The engine house and machinery were destroyed, the tower and oil house were damaged and the windows, woodwork, gutters and eaves were also damaged.
1979, December 5: The lighthouse was automated. A VEGA lantern replaced the Fresnel lens.
2002: The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation.

Chronology was researched and written by Diane Hackney.

Photographs:

EXECUTION ROCKS LIGHT

FAIRHAVEN RANGE LIGHTS

Location: Sterling, NY
Station Established: 1872
Year Current Tower First Lit:
Operational: no
Automated:
Deactivated: 1943
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials:
Tower Shape: Square pyramidal tower at end of pier
Height:
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure:
Original Lens:
Appropriation: $9,900 for keeper’s house

Historical Information:

The town of Fair Haven is located on Lake Ontario between Niagara Falls and Alexandria Bay. The town was originally a shipping port, but is now a resort community.
Originally two lighthouses located in Fair Haven.
The first light keeper at the Fair Haven Light Station was Andrew R. Crossier. He was appointed on June 12, 1872. He was succeeded by Theodore Vought in February 1887. Vought was replaced by Michael Fitzpatrick in 1908. He served until 1929 when he was replaced by Ralph B. Scobie. Osgar K. Elmer took post as lightkeeper on April 1, 1941. Elmer’s memories contained most of the history of the light station.
When the lighthouse was first built at the end of the pier jutting out into Lake Ontario, it was realized that a keeper’s house was needed. The second floor of the tiny tower only contained a bunk, stove and oven. The Lighthouse Service built a residence on shore that was completed in August 1873. The cost for this residence was $9,900. The living quarters in the tower were originally intended for emergency overnight stays if bad weather occurred, and the keeper was stranded at the lighthouse. An elevated walk was eventually bolted to the pier with a steel band cable so that the keeper could get back to land, even during bad weather.
A second tower, a range light, was built at the south end of the pier, and it is unclear exactly when it was erected.
The keeper set the fog bell when visibility was less than 2 ½ miles. He had to crank up three round weights of approximately 60 pounds. The clock was set once the pulley caught the gears. The weights moved down the pulley shaft and the bell would ring three times every 30 seconds.
When Osgar Elmer became keeper of Fair Haven Lighthouse in 1941, he had already had experience as an assistant keeper at the Galoo Island Lighthouse off Sackets Harbor, Oswego Lighthouse, and Sodus Point Lighthouse, both in New York. Elmer was a native of Fair Haven and had served some time in World War I, and returned home after suffering a shrapnel wound in the Argonne campaign. After returning home from the war, he served as a Life Guard at the Fair Haven State Park. One summer, he was credited with saving the lives of 29 swimmers.
A skeleton lighthouse with a metal frame about 20 feet high was installed in October 1943, and it was at this time the position of Light Keeper was abolished. Elmer was transferred to Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse in New York.
The lighthouses were torn down around 1945, however the keeper’s house still stands. It was sold to a private individual in 1965.

Hallie A. Sweeting, Historian for the Town of Sterling, put together the information included in this bio.
Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

FAIRHAVEN OUTER BREAKWATER LIGHT

FIRE ISLAND LIGHT

FIRE ISLAND INLET, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
Station Established: 1826
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1858
Operational: YES
Automated: YES 1986
Deactivated: 1974-1986
Foundation Materials: GRANITE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK ENCASED IN CEMENT
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: FOUR BLACK AND WHITE BANDS
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FIRST ORDER FRESNEL LENS, 1856

Historical Information:

Built in 1826 the first Fire Island Lighthouse was a 74 foot tall stone tower. It soon became apparent the lack of stature rendered the lighthouse unhelpful.
A new 168 foot tower was lit on November 1, 1858. The tower was constructed from brick which was covered in concrete and painted yellow. It would receive it’s more recognizable black and white markings in 1891.
Electricity arrived at the station in 1939.
The Fire Island Light Station was deactivated in 1974. The beacon was moved to the top of a nearby water tower.
Left to the elements the lighthouse soon fell to disrepair and was scheduled for demolition. The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed to save the lighthouse. The United States Coast Guard transferred the land and building to the National Park Service who, in turn, leased it to the preservation society. In 1984, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The group raised enough funds to restore the lighthouse to its 1939 condition. On May 28,1986 it was reactivated as an active aid to navigation. In 2006, the group took over ownership and maintenance of the lighthouse. It still listed on charts as a private aid to navigation. The Fresnel lens is on display in the Visitor’s Center. The lighthouse is open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler-Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

FIRE ISLAND LIGHT

FORT NIAGARA LIGHT

Location: Youngstown, NY
Station Established: 1781
Year Current Tower First Lit: 1781
Operational: no
Automated:
Deactivated: 1993
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: limestone brick
Tower Shape: octagonal
Height: 70’
Markings/Pattern: natural color of limestone brick
Relationship to Other Structure: detached
Original Lens:
Appropriation:

Historical Information:

During the colonial wars in North America, a fort at the mouth of the Niagara River was vital. It controlled access to the Great Lakes and the westward route to the central part of the nation. It attained importance during the late 1600s when French fur traders used the Great Lakes to transport goods. Niagara Falls transferred the supply of furs from the west to the demand of these goods to the east. Bateaux (flat bottomed, shallow draft boats) and canoes were used to move the furs around the falls, which made the mouth of the Niagara River an ideal point for transferring the furs to larger ships for transport. The strategic value of Fort Niagara diminished once the Erie Canal was completed in 1825. It did remain as an active military post well into the 20th century.
Three flags are flown daily above the parade ground to symbolize the nations which have held Fort Niagara. They all competed for the support of a fourth nation: the Iroquois Confederacy. The French were the first to establish a post here, Fort Conti, in 1679. Fort Denonville was also short lived, being active from 1687 to 1688. In 1726, the French erected a permanent fortification with the construction of the “French Castle.” This building was intended to be used as a gathering place where colonists could find protection from hostile Native American tribes. The fort and vapor of Niagara Falls served as useful markers during the day. Unfortunately, night mariners in the area were unable to use these makers to find their way. Britain gained control of Fort Niagara in 1759, after a nineteen-day siege during the French & Indian War. The British placed a beacon on the roof of the fort in 1781 due to the increase in vessels on the Great Lakes after this particular conflict. This beacon was the first unofficial lighthouse on the Great Lakes. The primary purpose for this light was to keep vessels from drifting too far west of the fort at night.
The British held the post at the fort throughout the American Revolution. In 1796, they were forced by treaty to yield it to the United States. In 1813, the British recaptured the Fort. The United States reclaimed the Fort for a second time in 1815 at the end of the War of 1812. The roof light remained active until 1803. The British garrison across the river at Fort George erected the Newark Light in 1804. This was the second lighthouse to serve the area. While it was not destroyed in the fighting of the War of 1812, the light was demolished in 1814 to clear a site for the construction of Fort Mississauga. In 1823, Congress approved funds for a new lighthouse the previous year. A wooden tower, housing a pedestal and lamp, was erected atop the “French Castle.” The need for the light diminished after the Erie Canal opened in 1825.
After the War of 1812, Fort Niagara served as a peaceful border post. It expanded beyond the walls after the Civil War. It became a barracks and training station for American soldiers throughout both World Wars. The last army units were withdrawn in 1963, and today the U.S. Coast Guard represents the only military presence on the site.
In 1829, the Canadians opened the Welland Canal, which was privately financed. It provided a navigable link between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, which eliminated the need to haul vessels over land. Despite this improvement, sailing and steam vessels still remained on the Niagara River to justify a light at the river’s mouth.
The Fort was restored between 1926 and 1934. It is currently operated by the Old Fort Niagara Association, Inc., which is a non-profit organization. It works with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Around 1855, the keeper’s dwelling and other buildings were damaged by a tornado. In 1858, the tower received a new lantern room and Fresnel lens. The number of panes in the lantern room were reduced from 150 to 9 of larger size. This helped increase the visibility of the light.
In 1868, there were complaints that the tower was “old and out of repair” and let the elements into the underlying building, which was at the time used as officers’ quarters. Four chimneys surrounded the octagonal tower, and a Lighthouse Board reported noted that one winter a spark from a fire in the fireplace caused a dangerous roof fire. Luckily, there was no damage to the lens. The tower was poorly situated, and required using “the stairway and passages of the officers’ quarters as a thoroughfare for the supply of the light.” Due to these deficiencies, a new lighthouse was recommended at Fort Niagara.
Congress approved $16,000 in 1871, and plans for a new 50 foot octagonal limestone tower with attached oil room were drawn up. Work on the structure began in July 1871, which was to be placed outside the fort’s walls near the stone keeper’s dwelling. Masonry work had to be suspended on November 30th due to the early arrival of cold weather. Work resumed on April 15, 1872. The Fresnel lens was transferred from the old tower and was exhibited on June 10, 1872. The focal plane for the light was raised to 11 feet, 4 inches in 1900 when a brick watch room was added between the top of the stone tower and the lantern room.
In 1889, the military’s water main at the Fort was tapped to provide water to the light. The same year, the roof of the station’s barn was re-shingled and a wagon shed was constructed for the convenience of the keeper. The wagon shed measured twelve by sixteen feet. In 1894, the Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board noted that the keeper’s dwelling was in bad condition and unsuitable for use. A new dwelling was built two years later. The “grade of the lot around the dwelling was raised,” and a driveway covered in gravel was also added.
In 1899, a request was made for a second, smaller beacon to be placed “at the mouth of the river where it empties into Lake Ontario.” It was noted by the Lighthouse Board that no port for deep draft vessels existed along Lake Ontario’s south shore between Genesee River and Port Dalhousie. The Board asked for $2,000 to establish a twenty-five foot tower to better guide vessels into the river. The request was repeated annually for six years, but went unfulfilled. An iron oil house with a capacity of 540 gallons was constructed near the lighthouse in 1905.
The Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse in 1993 rather than remove or trim roughly 50 trees that began to obscure the lighthouse. The Coast Guard replaced the light with a light on a nearby radio tower. Nancy Price, who lived in the keeper’s dwelling while her husband, Richard, was the Officer-In-Charge of the Coast Guard station from 1968 to 1975, was given the honor of throwing the switch to activate the new light. Her grandson was permitted to pull the plug in the lantern room of the lighthouse.
The lighthouse is currently under lease to the Old Fort Niagara Association. At times, it has kept a small museum and gift shop in the tower. The Fresnel lens was removed in 1995, and is currently being stored at Old Fort Niagara.

Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

FORT NIAGARA LIGHT

FORT TOMPKINS LIGHT

Location: ON STATEN ISLAND, WESTERLY SIDE OF THE NARROWS, NEW YORK, NEW YORK BAY
Station Established: 1828
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1873
Operational: No
Automated: N/A
Deactivated: 1903
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: Tower on white dwelling with Mansard roof; lantern, black.
Height: 40-feet
Original Lens: Fourth Order (as of 1900)
Characteristic: Flashing alternately red and white, interval between flashes 10 seconds
Fog Signal:

Photographs:

FORT TOMPKINS LIGHT

FORT WADSWORTH LIGHT

Location: EAST VERRAZANO NARROWS
Station Established: 1903
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1903
Operational? NO
Automated? n/a
Deactivated: 1965
Foundation Materials: BRICK (FORT WALLS)
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL
Markings/Pattern: RED BRICK
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1903

Photographs:

FORT WADSWORTH LIGHT

GALLOO ISLAND LIGHT

Location: SW END OF ISLAND IN LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1820
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1867
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1963
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: GRAY LIMESTONE W/BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Photographs:

GALLOO ISLAND LIGHT

GENESEE (CHARLOTTE-GENESEE / ROCHESTER) LIGHT

Location:
Station Established: 1822
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1853
Operational: No
Automated: N/A
Deactivated: 1881
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern:
Height: 40-feet
Original Lens: 10 Argand lamps (1823); Fourth Order, Fresnel (1853)
Characteristic:
Fog Signal:

Photographs:

GENESEE LIGHT

GENESEE EAST PIER LIGHT (ROCHESTER HARBOR)

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Photographs:

GENESEE EAST PIER LIGHT

GENESEE NORTH PIER LIGHT (ROCHESTER HARBOR)

Location:
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Photographs:

GENESEE NORTH PIER LIGHT

HORTON POINT LIGHT

EASTERN LONG ISLAND - NORTH SIDE, NEAR SOUTHOLD
Station Established: 1857
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1857
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1933
Deactivated: 1933-1990
Foundation Materials: GRANITE
Construction Materials: STUCCO/BRICK/GRANITE
Tower Shape: SQUARE ATTACHED TO RECTANGULAR HOUSE
Tower Height: 58 feet
Focal Plane: 103 feet
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN/COPPER DOME
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1857
Characteristic: Slow green flash every 10 seconds.

Historical Information:

1790: President George Washington commissioned the lighthouse.
1855: Land to build to lighthouse on was purchased by the US government for $550.
1857: Lighthouse was constructed and lit with William Sinclair serving as the first light keeper.
1933: Light was turned off in the tower and a skeleton tower was lit on shore.
1934, January: Southold Park District purchased the lighthouse buildings and grounds from the US Department of Commerce for $1.00.
1938: The last keeper stayed until the hurricane of 1938.
1976: Restoration of the lighthouse was started.
1990: Major restoration allowed for the repair of the tower both internally and externally. The light was reopened and relit. The skeleton tower on the shoreline was removed.
2002: The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation and hosts a museum. Visitors are able to climb the tower.

Chronology was researched and written by Diane Hackney.

Photographs:

HORTON POINT LIGHT

HUDSON-ATHENS (HUDSON CITY) LIGHT

MIDDLE GROUND FLATS/HUDSON RIVER
Station Established: 1874
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1874
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1949
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: GRANITE CAISSON
Construction Materials: DRESSED STONE/BRICK
Height: 30 feet; focal plane 46 feet
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: RED BRICK W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1926; Current light 300 mm.
Foghorn: Fog bell mechanism; 15 second intervals

Historical Information:

1872: Congress of U.S. approves $35,000.00 to build the light.
1873 - 1874: Light was constructed.
1874, November 14: Light was put into operation with Henry D. Best as the first keeper.
1949, November 10: The light was automated.
1940's: Electricity was installed.
1967: Nelson A. Rockefeller established the Hudson River Valley Commission, which suggested the USCG deed over or lease lighthouse facilities to public or not-for-profit groups for maintenance and preservation.
1982: Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed.
1984, February 15: A 20 year lease between the Lighthouse Preservation Society and the USCG was signed. This was the first lease of its kind.
2002: Occasional tours are available to the public through the Lighthouse Preservation Society

Chronology was researched and written by Diane Hackney.

Photographs:

HUDSON-ATHENS LIGHT

HUNTINGTON HARBOR LIGHT (FORMERLY LLOYD HARBOR)

HUNTINGTON BAY
Station Established: 1857
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1912
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1949
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CAST REINFORCED CONCRETE CRIB
Construction Materials: CAST REINFORCED CONCRETE
Tower Shape: SQUARE "CASTLE" (BEAUX ART)
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1912

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

JEFFREYS HOOK LIGHT

HUDSON RIVER/GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE
Light first lit: 1889
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1895
Operational? NO
Automated? n/a
Deactivated: 1948

Photographs:

JEFFREYS HOOK LIGHT

LATIMER REEF LIGHT

FISHERS ISLAND SOUND
Station Established: 1804
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1884
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1974
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CAST IRON/CONCRETE CAISSON
Construction Materials: CAST IRON/BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE TOWER/BROWN BAND MIDWAY/BROWN BASE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1884

Photographs:

LATIMER REEF LIGHT

LITTLE GULL ISLAND LIGHT

OFF FISHER'S ISLAND/LONG ISLAND SOUND
Station Established: 1806
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1869
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1978
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: GRANITE PIER
Construction Materials: GRANITE
Tower Shape: CONICAL TOWER
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: SECOND ORDER, FRESNEL 1869

Photographs:

ORIGINAL LITTLE GULL ISLAND LIGHT TOWER

MODERN LITTLE GULL ISLAND LIGHT TOWER

LLOYD HARBOR LIGHT

Location:
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Characteristic:
Fog Signal:

Photographs:

LLOYD HARBOR LIGHT

LONG BEACH BAR LIGHT

Location:
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Photographs:

LONG BEACH BAR LIGHT

MONTAUK POINT LIGHT

TURTLE HILL/EAST END OF LONG ISLAND
Station Established: 1796
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1797
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1987
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: SANDSTONE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL PYRAMIDAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BROWN BAND MIDWAY & BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: 13 WHALE OIL LAMPS (1797)

Photographs:

MONTAUK POINT LIGHT

NEW DORP (SWASH CHANNEL REAR RANGE) LIGHT

STATEN ISLAND/LOWER NEW YORK BAY
Station Established: 1856
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1856
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1964
Foundation Materials: BRICK
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: SQUARE ON CENTER OF DWELLING
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: SECOND ORDER, FRESNEL 1856

Historical Information:

This was the Swash Channel Rear Range Light, the front range light was the Elm Tree Beacon

Photographs:

NEW DORP LIGHT

NORTH BROTHER LIGHT

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NORTH BROTHER LIGHT

NORTH DUMPLING LIGHT

FISHERS ISLAND SOUND
Station Established: 1849
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1871
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1959
Deactivated: 1959
Foundation Materials: WOOD PILINGS/STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK/WOOD SHINGLE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/WHITE LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1871

Photographs:

NORTH DUMPLING LIGHT

OAK ORCHARD LIGHT

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OAK ORCHARD LIGHT

OGDENSBURG HARBOR LIGHT

LIGHT POINT/ST. LAWRENCE RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1834
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1900
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: STONE
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE & GRAY W/RED LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens:

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

OLD FIELD POINT LIGHT

LONG ISLAND NORTH SHORE
Station Established: 1823
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1868
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1933
Deactivated: 1933-1991
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: WOOD TOWER ON GRANITE HOUSE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: BLACK/ORIG. WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1855

Photographs:

OLD FIELD POINT LIGHT

OLD ORCHARD SHOAL LIGHT

GEDNEY CHANNEL/LOWER NY BAY
Station Established: 1893
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1893
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1955
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CAISSON
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: CONICAL "SPARK PLUG"
Markings/Pattern: LOWER BROWN/UPPER WHITE ON BLACK PIER
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1893

Historical Information:

2012: Destroyed by Hurricane Sandy (October, 2012

Photographs:

OLD ORCHARD SHOAL LIGHT

ORIENT POINT LIGHT

OYSTER POND REEF/PLUM GUT/LONG ISLAND
Station Established: 1899
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1899
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1954
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CAST IRON CAISSON
Construction Materials: CAST IRON PLATE W/BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: CONICAL "SPARK PLUG"
Markings/Pattern: BROWN TOWER WITH WHITE BAND MIDWAY
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1899

Photographs:

ORIENT POINT LIGHT

OSWEGO HARBOR WEST PIERHEAD LIGHT

MOUTH OF OSWEGO RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1822
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1934
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1968
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE/RUBBLE CRIB/PIER
Construction Materials: STEEL/CAST IRON
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs:

OSWEGO HARBOR WEST PIERHEAD LIGHT

PLATTSBURG BEACON

Location:
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Photographs:

PLATTSBURG BEACON

PLUM ISLAND (PLUM GUT) LIGHT

LONG ISLAND SOUND/GARDINER'S BAY
Station Established: 1827
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1870
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1978
Deactivated: 1978
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: GRANITE DWELLING/WOOD TOWER
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1856

Photographs:

PLUM ISLAND LIGHT

POINT AUX ROCHES LIGHT

LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Station Established: 1858
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1858
Operational? NO
Automated? YES
Deactivated: 1989
Foundation Materials: LIMESTONE BLOCKS
Construction Materials: BLUE LIMESTONE BLOCK
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs:

POINT AUX ROCHES LIGHT

PORT OF GENESEE (CHARLOTTE-GENESSE) LIGHT

GENESEE RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1822
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1822
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1881-1992
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: RUBBLE STONE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: 10 ARGAND LAMPS W/REFLECTORS 1822

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

PORTLAND HARBOR (BARCELONA) LIGHT

Location: SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE ERIE
Station Established:
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Fog Signal:

Historical Information:

Congress appropriated $5,000 on May 23, 1828, "for building a lighthouse at a proper site, at or near Portland, on Lake Erie, in the State of New York." The site was purchased for $50 and contract was made to erect a lighthouse and dwelling which cost $3,456.78. The first keeper appointed May 27, 1829, was Joshua Lane, a "deaf, superannuated clergyman, having numerous female dependents" whose salary was $350 per annum.
On January 1, 1831, a contract was made to provide the light with natural gas "at all times and seasons" and to keep the apparatus and fixtures in repair at an annual cost of $213. This was described at the time as follows:
The Lighthouse at Portland Harbor in the County of Chautauqua and State of New York, is now illuminated, in the most splendid style, by "natural carburetted hydrogen gas." Ever since the first settlement of the country about Portland, it has been known that an inflammable gas constantly issued from the fissures of a rock, which forms the bed of a little brook that empties into Lake Erie, near the harbor, in such quantity as to be easily set on fire by applying a flame to it. This fountain of gas was known to the early settlers of the country by the name of the 'burning spring.’ No valuable use, however, was made of this gas until Mr. W. A. Hart, an ingenious gunsmith of the village of Fredonia, and some other young mechanics, five or six years ago, collected a quantity of similar gas from the rocky bed of Canadaway creek in a reservoir, and conveyed it from thence to all the principal stores, taverns, and shops in the said village, where it is still used instead of lamps.
In the fall of 1829, on completion of the lighthouse at Portland Harbor, several persons associated together for the purpose of conveying the gas from the "burning spring" to the lighthouse. They dug into the rock at the place where the largest quantity of gas was found, in the form of a common well, about 40 or 50 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep. Over this well they erected a cone of solid mason work, so tight as to contain the gas which should collect within it, and at the same time exclude the water around it. They inserted a pipe at the base of the cone; bent down the end toward the bottom of the well; and then extended the pipe along on the bed of the brook to its termination below the dam. From that point it was conducted by pipes buried in the ground the distance of 230 rods to the lighthouse.
A stand of lamps adapted to the reception, emission, and burning of the gas was next invented and constructed by Mr. Hart. These consisted of several horizontal arms extended like the radii of a semicircle, at the end of each of which a brass pipe was attached. The quantity of gas consumed by each burner was regulated by a stopcock. Each burner had a large and suitable reflector. There were two tiers of these lamps, seven on the lower tier and six in the upper, interspaced so that, when viewed from the lake at night, the whole tower represented one complete, constant and unwavering blaze.
"Altogether," the account continues "this is one of the greatest natural, philosophical and mechanical curiosities which the country can produce. As a light for a lighthouse it exceeds, both in quantity and brilliancy, anything of the kind I ever saw.
In November 1838 it was reported, however, that "Owing to a failure of gas, that may be attributed to the excessive draught, oil is now substituted. It is presumed, however, that the fall rains will replenish the stream from which the fountain is supplied, and thus prevent the escape and loss of the gas.
In 1851 the report read: "We have one lighthouse at Portland on Lake Erie, lighted with natural gas, carried a distance of 2 miles in pipes to the tower; and even here we are obliged to keep oil and lamps, as water frequently collects in the pipes, over which the gas will not pass, and whilst they are being taken up and freed from water, oil light has to be used. We have a contract for supplying this gas at the annual cost of the oil which would be required, if lighted with that material.
The Portland Harbor (Barcelona) Light was discontinued in 1859 and in 1872 the buildings were sold to the highest bidder.

Photographs:

PORTLAND HARBOR LIGHT

PRINCES BAY LIGHT (OLD)

STATEN ISLAND/LOWER NEW YORK BAY
Station Established: 1828
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1828
Operational? NO
Automated? YES
Deactivated: 1922
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: BROWNSTONE BLOCKS
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD AND ONE HALF, FRESNEL 1857

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

RACE ROCK LIGHT

ENTRANCE TO LONG ISLAND SOUND
Station Established: 1879
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1879
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1978
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: GRANITE/CONCRETE CAISSON/PIER
Construction Materials: GRANITE
Tower Shape: SQUARE/OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/WHITE LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1879

Historical Information:

Race Rock Lighthouse, in Long Island Sound, 8 miles from New London, Conn., was built under great difficulties. The builder was Captain Scott. His engineer was F. Hopkinson Smith, who later became famous as a writer of lighthouse stories. Race Rock Lighthouse is off Fisher’s Island Sound, at the mouth of the Race, where the waters of the Sound rush both ways, according to the tide, with great velocity and force, and where, in heavy weather, the waves run high. By 1837 eight vessels had been lost in 8 years on Race Point reef. In 1838 Congress appropriated $3,000 for erecting a lighthouse at Race Rock but the money was never expended. In 1852 the Lighthouse Board reported: "Various efforts have been made, and numerous appropriations expended, in endeavoring to place an efficient and permanent mark on this point. Buoys cannot be kept on it, and spindles have hitherto only remained until the breaking up of the ice in the spring." In 1853 $7,000 was appropriated "for a beacon on Race Rock." This took the form of a daybeacon completed in 1856.

In 1854 Congress appropriated $8,000 for a lighthouse but only $1,600 of this was spent, mostly in surveys. In 1869 $90,000 was appropriated "for a lighthouse at or near Race Point, Fisher’s Island, Long Island Sound." After preliminary surveys costing $6,52857, an additional appropriation of $10,000 was made in 1870, after the Board had estimated that $200,000 would be required to build the lighthouse. In 1871 $150,000 more was provided by Congress.

Construction of the riprap foundation began in April 1871. In all 10,000 tons of granite were used in the foundation. "The proposals for the construction of the foundation and pier of this structure were so excessive in rates" the Board reported in 1872, "and so much above the amount of the appropriation on hand ($95,539.66 had been expended out of $261,000 appropriated to June 10, 1872) that no more than the landing and the enrockment of the foundation, and two courses of the pier, could be contracted for."
In 1873 Congress appropriated a further $75,000 and the lighthouse was completed at an additional expenditure of $175,048.09 between 1873 and 1878. The total cost of the lighthouse was $278,716.33.
The ledge on which the lighthouse is built is under water and three-fourths mile from Race Point Reef. It has one large and several smaller spurs of rock rising above the general surface. The least depth at mean low water on the principal spur or Race Rock proper, is 3 feet. The greatest depth at mean low water, within the circle of 69 feet, is 13 feet.
The ledge was, with the help of divers, made approximately level with small broken stone and riprap. Upon this was placed a circular-stepped mass of concrete, 9 feet thick, built in 4 concentric layers. The lower layer is 69 feet in diameter and 3 feet thick. To form the layers of concrete, cylindrical bands of half inch iron, of the height and diameter required for the respective layers, were used. The upper surface of the concrete, 8 inches above mean low water, carries a conical pier, 30 feet high, 57 feet in diameter at the base, and crowned by a projecting coping 55 feet in diameter. The pier is made of heavy masonry backed with concrete, in which cisterns and cellars are located.
The pier is surmounted by a granite dwelling one story and a half high. From the center of its front the granite light tower ascends. A landing-pier, 53 feet long and 25 feet wide, built of heavy masonry, gives access to the lighthouse. The whole structure is surrounded and protected by riprap. T he tower, which is square at the base and octagonal at the top, carries a fourth-order alternating flash white and red electric light of 90,000 candlepower, being 67 feet above sea level and 45 feet above land, and visible 14 miles at sea.

Photographs:

RACE ROCK LIGHT

ROBBINS REEF LIGHT

WEST SIDE MAIN CHANNEL/UPPER NEW YORK BAY
Station Established: 1839
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1883
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1966
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: GRANITE CAISSON
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: LOWER BROWN/UPPER WHITE ON NATURAL BASE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1883

Photographs:

ROBBINS REEF LIGHT

ROCK ISLAND LIGHT

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1848
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1882
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1930s
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE/LIMESTONE
Construction Materials: CAST IRON/BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER

Photographs:

ROCK ISLAND LIGHT

RONDOUT CREEK (KINGSTON) LIGHT

KINGSTON POINT/HUDSON RIVER
Station Established: 1838
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1915
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1954
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE PIER W/WOOD PILES
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: YELLOW BRICK W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1915

Photographs:

RONDOUT CREEK LIGHT

SACKETTS HARBOR (HORSE ISLAND) LIGHT

LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1831
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1870
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1957
Deactivated: 1870
Foundation Materials: LIMESTONE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs:

SACKETTS HARBOR LIGHT

SANDS POINT LIGHT (OLD)

LONG ISLAND
Station Established: 1809
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1809
Operational? NO
Automated? YES
Deactivated: 1922
Foundation Materials: BROWNSTONE
Construction Materials: BROWNSTONE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: UNPAINTED MASONRY W/FAUX LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: 11 LAMPS, 9" REFLECTORS (1809)

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

SAUGERTIES LIGHT

HUDSON RIVER AT ESOPUS CREEK
Station Established: 1836
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1869
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1954
Deactivated: 1954-1990
Foundation Materials: GRANITE BLOCK CRIB
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER

Photographs:

SAUGERTIES LIGHT

SELKIRK (SALMON RIVER) LIGHT

SALMON RIVER ENTRANCE/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1838
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1838
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1989
Deactivated: 1859-1989
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: WOOD TOWER ON FIELDSTONE HOUSE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: RED TOWER W/SILVER LANTERN ON HOUSE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: 8 LAMPS 14" REFLECTORS (1838)

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

SHINNECOCK (PONQUOGUE) LIGHT

Location: ON PONQUOGUE POINT, NORTHERLY SIDE OF SHINNECOCK BAY, LONG ISLAND, 1 MILE FROM LINE OF SEABEACH, AND ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN MONTAUK POINT AND FIRE ISLAND LIGHT-STATIONS, SEACOAST OF NEW YORK
Station Established: 1857
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1858
Operational: No
Automated: No
Deactivated: 1931 (demolished in 1948)
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: Red-brick tower, with drab dwelling attached.
Height: 168 feet
Original Lens: First Order, Fresnel
Characteristic: Fixed white (1901)
Fog Signal: None

Photographs:

SHINNECOCK LIGHT; Photo dated 18 July 1945; Photo No. NA998.

SODUS OUTER LIGHT

Location: ON NORTH END OF WEST PIER, ENTRANCE TO GREAT SODUS BAY
Station Established: 1858
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1938
Operational: Yes
Automated: Yes
Deactivated: N/A
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: Square pyramidal tower, brown below, white above
Height: 49-feet
Original Lens: Fourth Order (1938)
Characteristic: Group flashing white, 10 seconds, 2 flashes (1938)
Fog Signal: Horn, diaphragm, air; group of 2 blasts every 30 seconds, blast 1.5 seconds, silent 2 seconds, blast 1.5 seconds, silent 25 seconds

Photographs:

SODUS OUTER LIGHT, WOODEN TOWER

SODUS OUTER LIGHT, 1938 TOWER

SODUS POINT LIGHT

SODUS BAY/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1825
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1871
Operational? NO
Automated? YES
Deactivated: 1901
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: LIMESTONE
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER 1871

Photographs:

SODUS POINT LIGHT

SOUTH BUFFALO SOUTH SIDE LIGHT

Location: ON BREAKWATER, SOUTH SIDE OF MAIN SOUTH ENTRANCE TO BUFFALO HARBOR
Station Established: 1903
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1903
Operational: Yes
Automated: Yes, 1935
Deactivated: N/A
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: Lower part brown, cylindrical; upper part white, conical; brown fog-signal house adjoining
Height: 53 feet above low water mark
Original Lens: Fourth Order (1903); 300mm (currently)
Characteristic: Group flashing white alternate flashing red, 30 seconds, 2 white, 1 red flashes; each flash 1 second, eclipse 9 seconds
Fog Signal: Diaphone, two-tone air; blast 3 seconds, silent 27 seconds

Photographs:

SOUTH BUFFALO SOUTH SIDE LIGHT; photo dated 1949.

SPLIT ROCK POINT LIGHT (OLD)

WHALLON BAY/LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Station Established: 1838
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1867
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1928
Deactivated: 1928
Foundation Materials: LIMESTONE ON STONE MOLEHEAD
Construction Materials: LIMESTONE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/RED & WHITE TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1857

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

STATEN ISLAND (REAR RANGE) LIGHT

RICHMOND HILL/STATEN ISLAND
Station Established: 1909
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1912
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: GREY LIMESTONE
Construction Materials: YELLOW BRICK
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: SECOND ORDER RANGE

Photographs:

STATEN ISLAND REAR RANGE LIGHT

STEPPING STONES LIGHT

OUTER EDGE OF REEF/LONG ISLAND SOUND
Station Established: 1877
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1877
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1967
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: GRANITE/CONCRETE PIER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: RED BRICK/GRANITE TRIM, B/W LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1877

Keepers:

Finlay Fraser: (1877-Sept. 1879)
James G. Scott: (less than 1 year; Fraser's former assistant keeper--Assistant Keeper position then eliminated)
William McGloin: (Irish; June 1880-Nov 1886)
Cornelius Douglass: (Nov 1886-Sept 1895)
Elmer E. Gildersleeve: (Sep 1895-Dec 1902)
Charles Redfern: (Dec 1902-April 1910)
Ernest Bloom: (1912)

Photographs:

STEPPING STONES LIGHT

STONEY POINT (HENDERSON) LIGHT (OLD)

HENDERSON BAY/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1826
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1869
Operational? NO
Automated? ??
Deactivated: 1945
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Photographs:

STONEY POINT LIGHT

STONY POINT LIGHT

HUDSON RIVER
Station Established: 1826
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1826
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1973
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: SURFACE ROCK
Construction Materials: FIELDSTONE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: 8 PATENT LAMPS, 12" REFLECTORS 1826

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

STUYVESANT LIGHT

Location: ON THE EASTERLY SIDE OF THE HUDSON RIVER, ABOUT 1-1/2 MILES NORTHERLY OF STUYVESANT LANDING AND OPPOSITE THE HEAD OF BRONX ISLAND
Station Established: 1829
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1868
Operational: No
Automated: N/A
Deactivated: 1933
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: Red square tower in southwesterly angle of red dwelling, on granite pier; lantern, black. Old dwelling near (as of 1901).
Height: 32-feet
Original Lens: Sixth Order
Characteristic: Fixed red
Fog Signal: None

Photographs:

STUYVESANT LIGHT

SUNKEN ROCK LIGHT

BUSH ISLAND/ST. LAWRENCE RIVER
Station Established: 1847
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1884
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: STONE ON REEF
Construction Materials: BRICK SHEATHED W/WHITE BOARDS
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/GREEN LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER FRESNEL

Photographs:

SUNKEN ROCK LIGHT

TARRYTOWN (KINGSLAND POINT) LIGHT

HUDSON RIVER SOUTH OF KINGSLAND
Station Established: 1883
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1883
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1957
Deactivated: 1961
Foundation Materials: STONE PIER/CAST IRON CAISSON
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK TRIM & RED BASE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1883NAME OF LIGHT: Tarrytown (Kingsland Point) Light
LOCATION: Kingsland Point Park, Sleepy Hollow, NY
DATE BUILT: 1882 - 1883
HEIGHT: 56 feet (height of focal plane), 60 feet (top of lighthouse)
CHARACTERISTICS: fourth order Fresnel (1883)
FOGHORN: Bell

Historical Chronology:

1883, October 1: Light was first lit with Jacob Ackerman as the first keeper.
1957: Light was automated; its flashing red light was reduced from 7000 to1500 candle power.
1958: Building of the Tappan Zee Bridge made the lighthouse obsolete.
1965: The light was decommissioned.
1974: Westchester County acquired the lighthouse.
1979: Light was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Late 1970's: The footbridge connecting the shore to the tower was built. Over time, landfills had filled in the shoreline within feet of the tower.
2002: Occasional tours of the lighthouse are available from the Westchester County Department of Parks

Chronology was researched and written by Diane Hackney.

Photographs:

TARRYTOWN LIGHT

THIRTY MILE POINT LIGHT (OLD)

LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1875
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1875
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1959
Deactivated: 1959-1998
Foundation Materials: LIMESTONE BLOCK
Construction Materials: LIMESTONE
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/WHITE, BLACK & RED LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1875

Photographs:

THIRTY MILE POINT LIGHT

THREE SISTERS ISLAND LIGHT

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER
Station Established: 1870
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1870
Operational? NO
Automated?
Deactivated: 1950s
Foundation Materials: LIMESTONE BLOCK ON ROCK REEF
Construction Materials: DRESSED LIMESTONE BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/WHITE TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens:

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

THROGS NECK LIGHT

Location: ON THE NORTHEASTERLY SIDE OF FORT SCHUYLER, SOUTHEASTERLY END OF THROGS NECK AND ON THE NORTHERLY SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE FROM LONG ISLAND SOUND INTO THE EAST RIVER
Station Established: 1827
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1906
Operational: No
Automated: No
Deactivated: 1934
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: White, square, pyramidal, skeleton iron tower; lantern, black (1890); Red brick cylindrical tower (1906)
Height: 64-1/4-feet (1890); 35-feet (1906)
Original Lens: Fifth Order (1890); Fourth Order (1906)
Characteristic: Fixed white
Fog Signal: Bell struck by machinery every 15 seconds

Historical Information:

Original wooden lighthouse established in 1827. It was torn down during the construction of the fort.
A new wooden tower replaced the original lighthouse in 1835. It remained in service until 1890.
Replaced by a skeletal tower in 1890.
An oil house was built in 1896.
Skeletal tower replaced in 1906 with a 35-foot red brick tower. It's location was 700 feet southwest of the old light.
Light discontinued in 1934 and replaced by a small skeleton tower surmounted with a small signal lamp.

Photographs:

1890 THROGS NECK LIGHT TOWER

1934 THROGS NECK LIGHT

TIBBETTS POINT LIGHT

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO
Station Established: 1827
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1854
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1981
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: BRICK/STUCCO
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1854

Photographs:

TIBBETTS POINT LIGHT

VALCOUR ISLAND (BLUFF POINT) LIGHT

VALCOUR ISLAND/LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Station Established: 1874
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1874
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1930
Deactivated: 1930
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BLUE LIMESTONE/WOOD
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: RED/WHITE TOWER ON SQUARE HOUSE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1874

Photographs:

VALCOUR ISLAND LIGHT

WEST BANK (RANGE FRONT) LIGHT

AMBROSE CHANNEL/LOWER NEW YORK BAY
Station Established: 1901
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1901
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1985
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE/CAST IRON CAISSON
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: CONICAL "SPARK PLUG"
Markings/Pattern: BROWN ON BLACK BASE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1901

Photographs:

WEST BANK RANGE FRONT LIGHT

WHITESTONE POINT POST LIGHT

Location: ON WHITESTONE POINT, SOUTHERLY SIDE OF EAST RIVER
Station Established: 1889
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1889
Operational: Yes
Automated: N/A
Deactivated: N/A
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: Square pyramidal frame tower on piers; lower part, white; upper, wood-color (1889); black skeleton tower (post-1915)
Height: 20-feet
Original Lens: Lens lantern
Characteristic: Fixed white
Fog Signal: Bell struck by machinery a double blow every 30 seconds

Photographs:

THE 1889 WHITESTONE POINT LIGHT; Original caption: "Whitestone Point [;] 225 ft. Southwest."; 30 November 1915; No photo number; photo by "Yates."

Last Modified 12/21/2016

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Historic Light Station Information & Photography

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Historic Light Station Information
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