Old Orchard Shoal Light
Old Orchard Shoal Light was a sparkplug lighthouse in lower New York Bay marking a large shoal area. It was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012.[2][3][4]
 Lighthouse at Old Orchard Shoal | |
| Location | New York City, US |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°30′44.272″N 74°5′55.369″W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | April 5, 1893 |
| Foundation | Concrete/Cast Iron Caisson |
| Construction | Cast iron |
| Automated | 1955 |
| Height | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Shape | Conical "Spark Plug" |
| Markings | Lower half brown, upper half white, on black pier |
| Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place  |
| Fog signal | Air siren and horn |
| Light | |
| First lit | April 5, 1893 |
| Deactivated | October 29, 2012 (destroyed) |
| Focal height | 51 feet (16 m) |
| Lens | Fourth Order Fresnel lens (original), 9.8 inches (250 mm) |
| Range | W 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) R 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 6s |
Orchard Shoal Light Station, Old | |
| Nearest city | Staten Island, New York |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | US Lighthouse Board |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000864[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 2006 |
History
Old Orchard Shoal Light was completed and lit on April 25, 1893.[5] The Fresnel lens was removed in 1950.
Before moving on to Governor's Island and then finally Coney Island Light, Frank Schubert, said to be the last civilian lighthouse keeper in the United States, was stationed at Old Orchard Shoal Light.
Old Orchard Shoal Light is listed on the National Park Service's Maritime Heritage Program as Lighthouse to visit[6] and as one of New York's Historic Light Stations.[7]
On May 29, 2007, the Secretary of the Interior identified Old Orchard Shoal Light Station as surplus under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. The property was described as
Gedney Channel/Lower New York Bay, 3.5 miles south of New Dorp Beach. Remote 35 ft. conical, 3-story "spark plug" style light (1893) with keeper's quarters (approx. 1000 SF). Interior lined in brick up to 3rd floor. On 0.72 acre submerged land. Constructed of cast iron on concrete/cast iron caisson. Markings: white upper/black. Protective riprap and breakwater sheltering light's boat basin. Accessible by boat only.[8]
No group was identified under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act as willing and able to preserve the Old Orchard Shoal Light, and on June 5, 2008, the General Services Administration placed the light up for sale via an auction. The initial bid was $10,000 and the light finally closed on August 27, 2008 at a final bid of $235,000.[9]
The lighthouse was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012.[10][11]
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2009. p. 297.
- "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: New York". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
- "ARLHS World List of Lights". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
- Annual report of the Light-House Board to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 1893, Treasury Department, Document No 1647
- "Maritime Heritage Program". Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- "Maritime Heritage Program". Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- "Maritime Heritage Program". Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- GSA listing (1-PR-08-005) for Old Orchard Shoal
- "Old Orchard Shoal Light Is No More", Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee, blog post November 9, 2012. Archived November 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- USCG 'Local Notice to Mariners" week 44/12, LLNR 35395 states "Structure Destroyed" Archived 2012-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
