Lighthouses Westchester County

Lighthouses

Westchester County


Advertise Your Business Here
	Promote your business by advertising at our popular Contractors for Home & Property . Find the best contractor to renovate, remodel and improve your home and property.

Lighthouses

Westchester County

All Sleepy Hollow Village Listings

Sleepy Hollow Village Lighthouses

1883 Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse

914-366-5109

The 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow is located at Kingsland Point Park, Route 9, Sleepy Hollow, NY. Long a fixture on the Hudson River, the 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow, formerly known as the Tarrytown Lighthouse or the Kingsland Point Lighthouse, is the only Caisson-style lighthouse on the river.

Erected in 1882-1883, the lighthouse provided navigational aid to shipping on the Hudson and warned captains away from the dangerous shoals on the river's eastern shore. It is easily seen from the Tappan Zee Bridge, with the best viewing from Kingsland Point Park, located directly on the Hudson River.

Like all lighthouses on the Hudson, the 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow was designed as a "family station," as the keeper and his family lived in the five-story structure year-round. The duties of the keeper were to perform the never-ending chores of maintaining the lighthouse and lamp and to operate the lamp every night as well as during inclement weather.

During its entire 78 years of service, the 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow had a nearly perfect record of performance. When the bell mechanism malfunctioned (on several occasions), the keeper rang the bell by hand, at two-minute intervals, often for hours at a time. The constant beacon, a white light for the first eleven years, then a red light, and later a blinking red light, would guide vessels safely through darkness, fog and storms. Press blue button for information on visiting the Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow.

Also in Categories:
Attractions & Things To Do
Attractions in the Hudson Valley
Hudson River Towns

Lighthouses Westchester County
At night, in the fog, or in a storm, lighthouses act as guideposts for ships. Lighthouses warn sailors so they don't hit land or other obstructions in the water. They are built on harbors, islands, and beaches. Many years ago, people set fires at the edge of the water to warn boats of dangerous rocks and shores. The Egyptians are the first people known to have built lighthouses to guide ships. Lighthouses were also constructed by the Phoenicians, Greeks, and the Romans. The first lighthouse in England was the Eddystone Rock Lighthouse built on a steep rock in 1698. The first lighthouse in America, lit in 1716, was the Boston Lighthouse on Brewser Island in Boston Harbor. Early lighthouses used wick lamps as a source of light; the light beam could only travel a few miles. In 1822 the first modern lighthouse lens was invented by a Frenchman named Augustin Fesnel. Fresnel discovered how to increase light by using prisms. In 1841, the Fresnel lens was installed for the first time in a lighthouse. Lighthouses were operated by keepers who had to make sure that the lights were burning and fog bells were ringing at night, in fog, storms, or any condition that limited visual acuity. The lighthouse keeper often rang bells and even shot cannons as a warning to ships. A keeper's house was either built into a lighthouse or constructed separately close to the lighthouse. Today most lighthouses have lights that run automatically using electricity. Lighthouses have played an important role in the history of the Hudson River. The Stony Point Lighthouse was built as early as 1826. Fourteen lighthouses were built along the Hudson River, including two at the Rondout Creek in Kingston and a post light with a fog bell at Danskammer Point. There were also numerous other post lights up and down the river. Today only seven lighthouses remain.

Lighthouses

Westchester County

At night, in the fog, or in a storm, lighthouses act as guideposts for ships. Lighthouses warn sailors so they don't hit land or other obstructions in the water. They are built on harbors, islands, and beaches. Many years ago, people set fires at the edge of the water to warn boats of dangerous rocks and shores. The Egyptians are the first people known to have built lighthouses to guide ships. Lighthouses were also constructed by the Phoenicians, Greeks, and the Romans. The first lighthouse in England was the Eddystone Rock Lighthouse built on a steep rock in 1698. The first lighthouse in America, lit in 1716, was the Boston Lighthouse on Brewser Island in Boston Harbor.

Early lighthouses used wick lamps as a source of light; the light beam could only travel a few miles. In 1822 the first modern lighthouse lens was invented by a Frenchman named Augustin Fesnel. Fresnel discovered how to increase light by using prisms. In 1841, the Fresnel lens was installed for the first time in a lighthouse.

Lighthouses were operated by keepers who had to make sure that the lights were burning and fog bells were ringing at night, in fog, storms, or any condition that limited visual acuity. The lighthouse keeper often rang bells and even shot cannons as a warning to ships. A keeper's house was either built into a lighthouse or constructed separately close to the lighthouse. Today most lighthouses have lights that run automatically using electricity.

Lighthouses have played an important role in the history of the Hudson River. The Stony Point Lighthouse was built as early as 1826. Fourteen lighthouses were built along the Hudson River, including two at the Rondout Creek in Kingston and a post light with a fog bell at Danskammer Point. There were also numerous other post lights up and down the river. Today only seven lighthouses remain.

Top of Page

Lighthouses

Westchester County

Advertise Your Business Here

Lighthouses

Westchester County

Sleepy Hollow Village Lighthouses

1883 Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse

Lighthouses

Westchester County