Horton Point Light

Horton Point Light

Location	N end of Lighthouse Rd., Long Island Sound, Southold, New York
Coordinates	41°5′6.51″N 72°26′44.77″W
Tower
Constructed	1857
Foundation	granite
Construction	Granite and brick covered in stucco
Automated	1933
Height	18 m (59 ft)
Shape	Square, attached to rectangular house
Markings	White with black lantern and copper roof
Heritage	National Register of Historic Places listed place
Light
First lit	1857
Focal height	103 feet (31 m)
Lens	Third order Fresnel lens (original), VRB-25 system (current)
Range	14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi)
Characteristic	Flashing green, 10s
Horton Point Lighthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	8 acres (3.2 ha)
Architect	US Lighthouse Service
Architectural style	Mid 19th Century Revival
NRHP reference No.	94001237[1]
Added to NRHP	October 21, 1994

Horton Point Light is a lighthouse on the north side of Eastern Long Island, New York in the hamlet of Southold.[2][3] The lighthouse and the grounds surrounding it are under the supervision of the Town of Southold Park District.

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. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. 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.
3. Rowlett, Russ (2010-03-10). "Lighthouses of the United States: Downstate New York". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2010-02-20. See also: "Accompanying two photos". Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2010-03-06.

External links

Media related to Horton Point lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons

• Long Island lighthouses article
• Southold Historical Society: Nautical Museum at Horton Point Lighthouse Archived 2008-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
• Horton Point Lighthouse; Art & Architecture Quarterly / East End