Stony Point Light

The Stony Point Light is the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River. It is located at the Stony Point Battlefield in Stony Point, New York.[2]

For the lighthouse on Lake Ontario, see Stony Point (Henderson) Light.
Stony Point Light
Stony Point Light seen from the remains of the British fort
LocationStony Point Battlefield, Stony Point, New York
Coordinates41°14′29″N 73°58′20″W
Tower
Constructed1826
FoundationSurface Rock
ConstructionFieldstone
Automated1973
Height30 feet (9.1 m)
ShapeOctagonal
MarkingsWhite w/ Black Lantern
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1826
Deactivated1925-1995
Focal height58 feet (18 m)
Lens8 patent lamps, 12-inch (300 mm) reflectors (original), Fourth order Fresnel lens on loan from USCG and Hudson River Maritime Museum (current)
CharacteristicFl W 4s - Flashing White 4 seconds
Stony Point Lighthouse
Arealess than one acre
Built1825 (1825)
MPSHudson River Lighthouses TR
NRHP reference No.79001626[1]
Added to NRHPMay 29, 1979

The lighthouse was built in 1826 by Thomas Phillips, to warn ships away from the rocks of the Stony Point peninsula. The completion of the Erie Canal the previous year, which linked New York City to America's heartland, increased traffic on the Hudson River dramatically, and the need for navigational aids was paramount.[3]

Close-up view of the lighthouse

Its design is an octagonal pyramid, made entirely of stone. In service for nearly 100 years, the lighthouse had a series of keepers, most notably the Rose family. The Rose home is also on the Historic Register.

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1925 and was acquired by the parks commission in 1941. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[1]

Through the efforts of the Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site, the Palisades Park Interstate Commission, and NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, restoration of the lighthouse began in 1986. The exterior was repaired and painted and the lantern was reglazed. On October 7, 1995, restoration was complete, and the light was activated for the first time in 70 years. The automatic light, operated by solar power, beams a flash of light once every four seconds. It is open to the public.[3]

Stony Point Light is shown on the NOAA Chart 12343[4]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard.
  3. Stony Point (Hudson River) at Lighthouse Friends
  4. NOAA Chart 12343
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