Horton Point Light

Horton Point Light is a lighthouse on the north side of Eastern Long Island, New York in the hamlet of Southold. The lighthouse and the grounds surrounding it are under the supervision of the Town of Southold Park District.

Horton Point Light
Horton Point Light
LocationN end of Lighthouse Rd., Long Island Sound, Southold, New York
Coordinates41°5′6.51″N 72°26′44.77″W
Year first constructed1857
Year first lit1857
Automated1933
Foundationgranite
ConstructionGranite and brick covered in stucco
Tower shapeSquare, attached to rectangular house
Markings / patternWhite with black lantern and copper roof
Tower height18 metre 
Focal height103 feet (31 m)
Original lensThird order Fresnel lens
Current lensVRB-25 system
Range14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi)
CharacteristicFlashing green, 10s
Fog signalnone
ARLHS numberUSA-387
USCG number1-21150

[1]

[2]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Horton Point Lighthouse
Area8 acres (3.2 ha)
ArchitectUS Lighthouse Service
Architectural styleMid 19th Century Revival
NRHP reference No.94001237[3]
Added to NRHPOctober 21, 1994

History

The current lighthouse was built and the tower was first lit in 1857. The site is on a bluff 60 feet (18 m) above Long Island Sound. The tower was automated in 1933 and is now operational. The light was deactivated from 1933 to 1990. The foundation is granite and the lighthouse is built out of granite and brick with stucco. A square tower is attached to a rectangular house. The tower is 58 feet (18 m) high with the focal plane of the light being 103 feet (31 m) above sea level. The tower is white with a black lantern and a copper dome. The light has a slow green flash every ten seconds.[4]

Chronology
  • 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: In January, Southold Park District purchased 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 (seen in photo to right) on the shoreline was removed.
  • 1994: Property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
  • 2007: The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation and hosts a museum. Visitors are able to climb the tower.

Reference list
  1. Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2009. p. 189.
  2. Rowlett, Russ (2010-03-10). "Lighthouses of the United States: Downstate New York". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  4. Peter D. Shaver (July 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Horton Point Lighthouse". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2010-02-20. See also: "Accompanying two photos".

Media related to Horton Point lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons

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