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 | |
| |
| Location | Entrance of Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | Preserved light 40°54′26.0″N 73°30′35.5″W Active aid 40°54′51.0″N 73°29′35.2″W |
| Year first lit | 1890 |
| Deactivated | 1965 |
| Foundation | Cast iron/concrete caisson |
| Construction | Orig Wood |
| Tower shape | Skeletal/Orig square pyramidal |
| Tower height | Original: 35 feet (11 m) tower on caisson, 44 feet (13 m) above sea level Current: 37 feet (11 m) |
| Focal height | 11 metre  |
| Original lens | Fourth order, Fresnel |
| Range | Current: 7 miles (11 km) |
| Characteristic | Original:Fixed red light, Orig White w/black lantern Current: Fl. White w/fixed red sector |
History
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]
Postcard, about 1905
Modern Light, 1999
References
- "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: New York". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
