At night, in the fog, or in a storm, lighthouses act as guideposts for ships. Lighthouses warn sailors so they don't hit land or other obstructions in the water. They are built on harbors, islands, and beaches. Many years ago, people set fires at the edge of the water to warn boats of dangerous rocks and shores. The Egyptians are the first people known to have built lighthouses to guide ships. Lighthouses were also constructed by the Phoenicians, Greeks, and the Romans. The first lighthouse in England was the Eddystone Rock Lighthouse built on a steep rock in 1698. The first lighthouse in America, lit in 1716, was the Boston Lighthouse on Brewser Island in Boston Harbor.
Early lighthouses used wick lamps as a source of light; the light beam could only travel a few miles. In 1822 the first modern lighthouse lens was invented by a Frenchman named Augustin Fesnel. Fresnel discovered how to increase light by using prisms. In 1841, the Fresnel lens was installed for the first time in a lighthouse.
Lighthouses were operated by keepers who had to make sure that the lights were burning and fog bells were ringing at night, in fog, storms, or any condition that limited visual acuity. The lighthouse keeper often rang bells and even shot cannons as a warning to ships. A keeper's house was either built into a lighthouse or constructed separately close to the lighthouse. Today most lighthouses have lights that run automatically using electricity.
Lighthouses have played an important role in the history of the Hudson River. The Stony Point Lighthouse was built as early as 1826. Fourteen lighthouses were built along the Hudson River, including two at the Rondout Creek in Kingston and a post light with a fog bell at Danskammer Point. There were also numerous other post lights up and down the river. Today only seven lighthouses remain.
The 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow is located at Kingsland Point Park, Route 9, Sleepy Hollow, NY. Long a fixture on the Hudson River, the 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow, formerly known as the Tarrytown Lighthouse or the Kingsland Point Lighthouse, is the only Caisson-style lighthouse on the river.
Erected in 1882-1883, the lighthouse provided navigational aid to shipping on the Hudson and warned captains away from the dangerous shoals on the river's eastern shore. It is easily seen from the Tappan Zee Bridge, with the best viewing from Kingsland Point Park, located directly on the Hudson River.
Like all lighthouses on the Hudson, the 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow was designed as a "family station," as the keeper and his family lived in the five-story structure year-round. The duties of the keeper were to perform the never-ending chores of maintaining the lighthouse and lamp and to operate the lamp every night as well as during inclement weather.
During its entire 78 years of service, the 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow had a nearly perfect record of performance. When the bell mechanism malfunctioned (on several occasions), the keeper rang the bell by hand, at two-minute intervals, often for hours at a time. The constant beacon, a white light for the first eleven years, then a red light, and later a blinking red light, would guide vessels safely through darkness, fog and storms. Press "Blue Button" for information on visiting the Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow.
The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse is a Second Empire architectural style lighthouse located in the Hudson River between Hudson and Athens, New York.
In the late 1880’s, hazards created by the Middle Ground Flats opposite the City of Hudson made navigation of the Hudson river at that point extremely risky for the busy shipping route. After much petitioning to the Congress of the United States, a survey was completed and an appropriation of $35,000.00 was approved by Congress in 1872 to build the Hudson City Lighthouse now known as the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.
The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse is one-hundred and thirty three years old. Steps and measures need to be taken to preserve any house wherever it is located. The unique location of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, in the middle of the Hudson River, makes monumental demands on its owners for the house's preservation. The age of the house, the currents, the tides, the wakes of passing boats, the rushing spring flood waters, and the ice flows in 133 year winters have, and continue to compromise the foundation of the historic structure. At this time it is a priority that the foundation be repaired. Press "Blue Button" for photos, history, and more about the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.
At night, in the fog, or in a storm, lighthouses act as guideposts for ships. Lighthouses warn sailors so they don't hit land or other obstructions in the water. They are built on harbors, islands, and beaches. Many years ago, people set fires at the edge of the water to warn boats of dangerous rocks and shores. The Egyptians are the first people known to have built lighthouses to guide ships. Lighthouses were also constructed by the Phoenicians, Greeks, and the Romans. The first lighthouse in England was the Eddystone Rock Lighthouse built on a steep rock in 1698. The first lighthouse in America, lit in 1716, was the Boston Lighthouse on Brewser Island in Boston Harbor.
Early lighthouses used wick lamps as a source of light; the light beam could only travel a few miles. In 1822 the first modern lighthouse lens was invented by a Frenchman named Augustin Fesnel. Fresnel discovered how to increase light by using prisms. In 1841, the Fresnel lens was installed for the first time in a lighthouse.
Lighthouses were operated by keepers who had to make sure that the lights were burning and fog bells were ringing at night, in fog, storms, or any condition that limited visual acuity. The lighthouse keeper often rang bells and even shot cannons as a warning to ships. A keeper's house was either built into a lighthouse or constructed separately close to the lighthouse. Today most lighthouses have lights that run automatically using electricity.
Lighthouses have played an important role in the history of the Hudson River. The Stony Point Lighthouse was built as early as 1826. Fourteen lighthouses were built along the Hudson River, including two at the Rondout Creek in Kingston and a post light with a fog bell at Danskammer Point. There were also numerous other post lights up and down the river. Today only seven lighthouses remain.
Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse, Fort Washington Park is located at 178th Street & Hudson River, New York, NY. The Jeffrey's Hook lighthouse, erected in 1880 and moved to its current site in 1921, has become widely known as the children's literary landmark, The Little Red Lighthouse.
The story of the lighthouse was popularized by the children's book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Hildegarde H. Swift. In this fictional account of Jeffrey's Hook lighthouse, the structure was presented as a symbol of the significance of a small thing in a big world. After the proposed removal of the lighthouse in 1951, the lighthouse became a celebrated "child's landmark," representing importance and permanence, The children cried out to "save the lighthouse" and so it was to be.
The Jeffrey's Hook lighthouse, which formerly had stood as the North Hook Beacon at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, from 1880-1917, was reconstructed in 1921 by the United States Bureau of Lighthouses as part of a project to improve the navigational aids on the Hudson River.
Visit the Lighthouse Scheduled tours offered spring through fall by the New York City Urban Park Rangers. Press "Blue Button" for tour information and more about the Little Red Lighthouse.
The Stony Point lighthouse was built in 1826, and is the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River. In October, 1995, the lighthouse was restored, relighted, and re-opened to the public for the first time since 1925; when it was decommissioned after having served for nearly one hundred years. The Stony Point lighthouse marked the danger to ships of a rocky promontory, the Stony Point peninsula.
The top of a lighthouse is called the lantern. The inside of a lantern is called the lens. In 1856, a fifth-order Fresnel lens was installed and a larger, fourth-order lens installed in 1902. The lens in use now is a period fourth-order lens on loan from the United States Coast Guard.
Lighthouses were operated by keepers who had to make sure that the lights were burning and fogbells were ringing in bad weather. A keeper's house was either built into a lighthouse or constructed separately close by. Nancy Rose, the Keeper of the Stony Point lighthouse, kept the light for 47 years, from 1857 to her death in 1904.
The Esopus Meadows Lighthouse is located in Esopus, NY 12429 in Ulster County. Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, fondly nicknamed the “Maid of the Meadows”, was completed in 1871. A lighthouse was needed on the Hudson River to warn mariners of the mud flats known as the Esopus Meadows located off the western shore of the river.
The lighthouse was built on a new foundation, located to the south of the former location, traces of which are still visible on the adjoining small island. Inside the house is a kitchen, sitting room and equipment room on the first floor and three bedrooms and a bath on the second. The light tower extends above the living quarters with an octagonal deck housing the light. Situated 53 feet above the mean water line, the lantern room contained an optic fifth-order Fresnel lens providing a 270 degree arc of light that was visible for 12 nautical miles.
In 1979, the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The road to restoration didn’t really begin until 1990 when the Save Esopus Lighthouse Commission was formed. Press "Blue Button" for history, photos, and more about the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse.
Rondout Creek is located at Kingston Point, Kingston, NY 12401 in Ulster County. The current Rondout Lighthouse is actually the third lighthouse built at the mouth of the Rondout Creek. The first Kingston Lighthouse was built in 1837. This wood structure became badly damaged by ice and weather and soon became unsafe for the keeper and her family. A second lighthouse of brick and stone was constructed in 1867 on the south side of the creek. This second light was abandoned in 1915 when the present dikes were constructed at the Creek's entrance. Demolished in 1954 when its roof collapsed, the second lighthouse's stone footings are still visible today.
In 1913 construction started on a new lighthouse, which is the structure known to area residents today as the Rondout Lighthouse. The largest and last 'family' light built on the Hudson River, the third Rondout Lighthouse, was first lit on August 25, 1915.
Enjoy hiking the Interpretive Nature Trail that follows the course of the fitness trail through the upper area in Hasbrouck Park and is approximately 1 mile in length. It is suitable for young children and adults. Thirty-two different varieties of trees are identified along the trail through the use of signage, and a brochure is available to assist visitor's with locating the trees and providing interesting facts regarding some of the species. In addition to the trees, the trail offers spectacular views of the serene waters of the Hudson River, Rondout Creek, Rondout Lighthouse, and also the Ponckhockie section of Kingston. Press "Blue Button" for history, architectural details, and more about Kingston Point Lighthouse.
The Saugerties Lighthouse is located at 168 Lighthouse Drive, Saugerties, NY 12477. The Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy was formed in 1985. The Coast Guard, the original owners of the lighthouse, relinquished jurisdiction, and the property reverted back to New York State. The Conservancy then bought the deteriorated remains of the lighthouse for one dollar. Efforts to stabilize the building began shortly thereafter while local architect Alex Wade completed plans for the reconstruction. A wooden barge was built to haul construction materials including tons of masonry materials. . . More than 10,000 new bricks were required to replace bricks that had crumbled. The entire masonry structure, including the massive stone base, has been reconstructed.
After extensive fundraising and restoration work the building was completely reconstructed. After 36 years, the light was restored to operation in the light tower on August 4, 1990. The Coast Guard installed a fourth-order Fresnel lens with a solar-powered light. Press "Blue Button" for History, photos - Now and Then, Bed & Breakfast, Day-Use, and more about the Saugerties Lighthouse.
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