Esopus Meadows Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, nicknamed "Maid of the Meadows" and often simply referred to as the Esopus Light or Middle Hudson River Light is a lighthouse
on the Hudson River
near Esopus, New York
. The lighthouse stands on the west side of the channel, in the river, its granite foundation built atop piles that have been driven into the riverbed, and is accessible only by boat.
Construction of the first lighthouse on the site began in 1838 when the land was ceded for $1.00 by the town of Esopus to the US government and the US government appropriated $6,000 to build the light. The light became active in 1839. It was a twin to the Roundout II lighthouse further north up the Hudson river. By 1867, however, the building was heavily damaged by flood and ice and funds for a new lighthouse were appropriated in 1870.
The current lighthouse was completed in 1871 and is the last wooden lighthouse in existence on the Hudson and the only Hudson lighthouse with a clapboard exterior. It was lighted in 1872. One of a group of lighthouses in the Northeast built to an award-winning design by a Vermont architect, Esopus Meadows Light has sister lights at Rose Island Light
, Sabin Point
, Pomham Rocks
, and Colchester Reef
. Esopus Meadows Light was closed in 1965 and by the 1990s it had fallen into a state of disrepair. The most serious problem was the deterioration of the foundation, which had begun to fall apart due to ice damage.
The Save Esopus Lighthouse Commission leased the lighthouse from the United States Coast Guard in 1990 for the purposes of restoration. They eventually took ownership in September 2002, as part of the pilot program for the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979 as Esopus Meadows Lighthouse.
Esopus Meadows Light is shown on the NOAA Chart 12347.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
near Esopus, New York
Esopus, New York
Esopus is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 9,331 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the local Indian tribe and means "high banks."...
. The lighthouse stands on the west side of the channel, in the river, its granite foundation built atop piles that have been driven into the riverbed, and is accessible only by boat.
Construction of the first lighthouse on the site began in 1838 when the land was ceded for $1.00 by the town of Esopus to the US government and the US government appropriated $6,000 to build the light. The light became active in 1839. It was a twin to the Roundout II lighthouse further north up the Hudson river. By 1867, however, the building was heavily damaged by flood and ice and funds for a new lighthouse were appropriated in 1870.
The current lighthouse was completed in 1871 and is the last wooden lighthouse in existence on the Hudson and the only Hudson lighthouse with a clapboard exterior. It was lighted in 1872. One of a group of lighthouses in the Northeast built to an award-winning design by a Vermont architect, Esopus Meadows Light has sister lights at Rose Island Light
Rose Island Light
The Rose Island Light, built in 1870, is located on Rose Island in Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island in the United States. The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation preserves, maintains and operates the lighthouse....
, Sabin Point
Sabin Point Light
The Sabin Point Light was a lighthouse in the Providence River. It was removed as part of a channel-widening project in 1968.-History:This light was constructed in 1872 to mark a bend in the shipping channel southwest of Sabin Point. The Second Empire style house was constructed according to a plan...
, Pomham Rocks
Pomham Rocks Light
Pomham Rocks Light is a historic lighthouse in the Providence River about 200 yards off the shoreline of the Riverside neighborhood of the city of East Providence, Rhode Island...
, and Colchester Reef
Colchester Reef Light
The Colchester Reef Light in Vermont was a lighthouse off Colchester Point in Lake Champlain. It was moved to the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont in 1956....
. Esopus Meadows Light was closed in 1965 and by the 1990s it had fallen into a state of disrepair. The most serious problem was the deterioration of the foundation, which had begun to fall apart due to ice damage.
The Save Esopus Lighthouse Commission leased the lighthouse from the United States Coast Guard in 1990 for the purposes of restoration. They eventually took ownership in September 2002, as part of the pilot program for the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally-owned lighthouses into private hands...
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979 as Esopus Meadows Lighthouse.
Esopus Meadows Light is shown on the NOAA Chart 12347.