Cold Spring Harbor Light

Cold Spring Harbor Light was a lighthouse located in Cold Spring Harbor on the north shore of New York's Long Island. It was built in 1890 to mark a shoal at the entrance to Cold Spring Harbor. After the lighthouse was deactivated in 1965, the original light and tower were purchased by a private individual and moved to its current location on land, one mile (1.6 km) to the southwest. An automated light tower and day beacon were erected on the original caisson, and continue to serve as a navigation aid.

Cold Spring Harbor Light
Cold Spring Harbor Light
Map
LocationEntrance of Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island
CoordinatesPreserved light 40°54′26.0″N 73°30′35.5″W / 40.907222°N 73.509861°W / 40.907222; -73.509861
Active aid 40°54′51.0″N 73°29′35.2″W / 40.914167°N 73.493111°W / 40.914167; -73.493111
Tower
FoundationCast iron/concrete caisson
ConstructionOrig Wood
HeightOriginal: 35 feet (11 m) tower on caisson, 44 feet (13 m) above sea level
Current: 37 feet (11 m)
ShapeSkeletal/Orig square pyramidal
Light
First lit1890
Deactivated1965
Focal height11 m (36 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
LensFourth order, Fresnel
RangeCurrent: 7 miles (11 km)
CharacteristicOriginal:Fixed red light, Orig White w/black lantern
Current: Fl. White w/fixed red sector

History

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On March 3, 1875, $20,000 was appropriated for the construction of the light, which began in 1889. The light's construction upon a caisson in Cold Spring Harbor was finished in 1890, and it was first lit on January 31 of that year. The light was refitted with an oil vapor lamp in 1929.[1]

The light was deactivated in 1965, to be replaced with an automated light tower. After purchasing the old structure for $1, a local resident had the lighthouse moved to the mainland where it was reinstalled on private property.[1] The local resident, known as "Lady Glen", reputedly "had fond memories of the lighthouse, including one keeper who kept a piano at the station. When he played, the music could be heard drifting across the water."[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: New York". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  2. ^ "Cold Spring Harbor Lighthouse". LighthouseFriends. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
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