Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday July 10, 2007
HISTORIC LONG ISLAND LIGHTHOUSES BECKON TO VISITORS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kristen Matejka
Director of Marketing and Communications
LICVB&SC
631 951-3900 xt.317
HISTORIC LONG ISLAND LIGHTHOUSES BECKON TO VISITORS
HAUPPAUGE, NY -(July 2, 2007)- At nearly 120 miles in length, Long Island holds some of the most beautiful lighthouses in the country, including quite a few that welcome visitors to climb to their perches to enjoy spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Other lighthouses are accessible via private tours and boat trips. Long Island is home to over 20 lighthouses, each with a history and important story of its own.
Resting on the easternmost point of the Island, Montauk Point Lighthouse was the first lighthouse to be built in New York State and is the fourth oldest in the country, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Block Island sound beaches. Ordered to be built in 1792 by President George Washington, and completed in 1796, it stands 110-ft. tall with a red and white stripe The light flashes every 5 seconds and can be seen a distance of 19 nautical miles. Tours are available, including the 137-step climb to the beacon. The Montauk Lighthouse Museum is located in the 1860 Keepers house, and displays an assortment of historical documents and photographs. It houses a parlor, oil room, the lighthouse keeper’s room and others. The keeper’s house is an important part of the lighthouses history and is preserved by the Montauk Historical Society.
The Eaton’s Neck Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse on the Island. Located on the northern tip of Eaton’s Neck, it was built in 1798 by John McComb, Jr., who also built the Montauk Lighthouse. Unlike its cousin, this octagonal tower is only 73 feet in height and was lit for the first time on January 1, 1799 with a single oil lamp. In 1858, the lighthouse received a third order Fresnel lens that remains in the tower to this day and is the only tower on the Island with an active Fresnel lens. The keeper's quarters no longer exist and have been replaced by Coast Guard housing. Today, Eaton's Neck light station serves as a U.S. Coast Guard Base. Open for group tours only with advance reservations. Call the U.S. Coast Guard at Eaton's Neck (631) 261-6959.
Located on the Great South Bay and adjacent to Robert Moses State Park, the Fire Island Lighthouse stands as the tallest lighthouse on Long Island with 182 winding steps.
It was the first lighthouse built on Fire Island, and was completed in 1826. It once stood 74-feet high, made of Connecticut River blue split stone. Due to its small stature, was never truly effective. It was taken down and in 1857 and Congress rebuilt a new tower, standing at 168 feet tall, and made of red brick. The black and white band seen today was painted on August 1891. In 1974, the lighthouse was decommissioned. In 1982, the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society (FILPS) was formed and restored to its 1939 condition, when electricity was first installed. On May 28, 1986, the Fire Island Lighthouse was relit and reinstated as an official aid to navigation.
Today the beacon is lit by two 1000-watt bulbs, which rotate in a counterclockwise direction, giving the appearance of a flash every 7.5 second visible for approximately 24 miles. Enjoy taking a nature walk, exhibits on the lighthouse, and a gift shop.
Horton’s Point Lighthouse, located north of downtown Southold, was constructed by the U. S. Lighthouse Service in 1857 as a square granite and brick tower, 58 feet high with a detached keeper's residence. During WWII, the tower was used to watch for enemy aircraft. This is the only lighthouse on the North Shore of Long Island between Old Field Point and Orient Point. Between 1941 and 1950 the light was transferred to a nearby steel tower, while the lighthouse was used as an observation post by the army and the Coast Guard. It was re-commissioned on June 9, 1990, when the lower level of the Keeper's House was converted into the Southold Historical Society's Nautical Museum, with exclusive exhibits, rare historical objects, and other updated displays. The grounds are open at all times. Museum are open weekends, 11:30AM - 4PM, during the summer.
The Huntington Harbor Lighthouse was built in 1912 by Charles Mead with no electricity, indoor plumbing or running water. The lighthouse had several devices to help navigate the seas. One was a 5th Order Fresnel lenses. Another was the Argand lamp. It used a tubular wick and produced a brighter light and burned cleaner than a kerosene lamp. The wick had to be trimmed daily and consumed 3-4 ounces of oil an hour. Another signaling device was a large cast bell, still at the lighthouse. The tower height is 42 feet, and has a fixed, flashing white light, visible for 9 miles. In 1947, the US Coast Guard automated the light and installed a fog horn. This lighthouse is the earliest example of reinforced concrete construction on the East Coast. Tours of the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse are June 24, 2007, July 15 & 29, 2007 August 12 & 26, 2007 and September 9 & 30, 2007. All tours take place from 11am until 3pm, weather permitting. Reservations are suggested if a large group is involved. Only sneakers permitted, and children must be over 5 years of age. The boat trip is about 10 minutes and runs continuously. (631) 421-1985
Other organizations on Long Island offer guided tours of some of the more inaccessible lighthouses along Long island’s coast line.
Long Island Lighthouse Safaris, Inc. (LILS) tours focus on customized group tours and corporate events with a nautical theme, selected activities, education and fun. The visitor chooses from various modes of transportation for each tour, whether it be land, sea or air. The package tours include visits to lighthouses, professional guides, transportation, video entertainment, hotel accommodations where required, museum fees, meals, and side attractions. Create your own tour or pick from a package www.lighthousesafaris.com
East End Lighthouses Inc. is a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the offshore lighthouses of Southold Town and offers transportation to lighthouses normally not accessible without a boat. The cruises include places such as Long Beach Bar, Orient Point, Plum Island, Little Gull, Race Rock, New London Ledge, North Dumpling, Latimer Reef, Stonington, Watch Hill, Gardiner's Point (location of former lighthouse and fort), and Cedar Island.. Cruises include the “Lighthouse, Maritime History & Gardiner's Island Cruise” and the “Trip and Landing at Long Beach Bar "Bug" Lighthouse,” among others. www.eastendlighthouses.org
Other lighthouses around the Island that can be seen from afar include, among others:
Stepping Stones, North Hempstead
Execution Rocks, North Hempstead
Sands Point, North Hempstead
Shinnecock Bay, Ponquogue
Old Field Point, Old Field
The Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission (LICVB&SC) is the official tourism promotion agency for the destination’s travel and tourism industry. Based on Long Island in Hauppauge, NY, the LICVB&SC contributes to the economic development and quality of life on Long Island by promoting the region as a world-class destination for tourism, meetings and conventions, trade shows, sporting events, and related activities. For more information about Long Island, please contact the Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission by calling 1-877-FUN-ON-LI or visit www.discoverlongisland.com
330 Motor Parkway, Suite 203, Hauppauge, NY 11788 (631) 951-3900
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