Stepping Stones Light
LocationLong Island Sound, in Nassau County, New York. Marks outer end of reef
Coordinates40°49′27.6″N 73°46′29.1″W / 40.824333°N 73.774750°W / 40.824333; -73.774750
Tower
Constructed1877
FoundationGranite and concrete pier
ConstructionRed brick
Automated1967
Height46 feet (14 m)
ShapeSquare, red brick, granite trim, black and white lantern
MarkingsWhite band on southwest face of pier
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1877 Edit this on Wikidata
Focal height46 feet (14 m)
LensFifth order Fresnel, 1877 (original), 12 inches (300 mm) (current)
Range8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi)
CharacteristicGreen light occulting every 4 sec
Stepping Stones Light Station
Arealess than one acre
ArchitectU.S. Lighthouse Board
Architectural styleSecond Empire
MPSLight Stations of the United States MPS
NRHP reference No.05001026[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 15, 2005

Stepping Stones Light is a Victorian-style lighthouse in Long Island Sound, in Nassau County, New York.[2][3][4] The lighthouse is square-shaped and made of red brick, standing one-and-a-half stories high. The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse is a virtual twin of this structure. The light is in current use, under the management of the United States Coast Guard. It is not open to the public.

The reef upon which it sits was given its name by Siwanoy (Minnefords) Native American legends. According to the legend, the tribe used warriors, medicine, and magic to chase the devil out of present-day Westchester County, New York onto City Island (formerly Greater Minneford Island), surrounding him at Belden Point. The devil then picked up huge boulders lying there and tossed them into Long Island Sound, using them as stepping stones to make his escape. The natives named the rocks, "The Devil's Stepping Stones".

USCG historical photo, undated

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Stepping Stones Light Station on September 15, 2005, reference number 05001026. The light station has been declared surplus, and the application for transfer under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is under review.[5] In 2008, the light station was transferred to the Town of North Hempstead. In 2014, the Town of North Hempstead entered into a partnership with the Great Neck Historical Society and the Great Neck Park District to raise funds to rehabilitate the Lighthouse.[6] The National Park Service and New York State Senator Jack Martins provided $165,000 and $100,000 in grant funding, respectively, to support the restoration efforts.[7][8]

References

  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.
  3. ↑ "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: New York". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  4. ↑ "Stepping Stones Light - ARLHS USA-811". wlol.arlhs.com.
  5. ↑ Available properties through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Program for 2006
  6. ↑ Eidler, Scott (30 July 2014). "Campaign to save 19th-century lighthouse". Newsday.
  7. ↑ Eidler, Scott (26 April 2016). "North Hempstead wins $165G grant to restore historic lighthouse". Newsday.
  8. ↑ Eidler, Scott (13 July 2016). "Stepping Stones Light to receive restoration funding". Newsday.

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