Fire Island Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
The Fire Island Light is a visible landmark on the Great South Bay
, in southern Suffolk County
, New York
on the western end of Fire Island
, a barrier island
off the southern coast of Long Island
. The Lighthouse is located with in Fire Island National Seashore
and just to the east of Robert Moses State Park.
The current lighthouse
is a 180 feet (54.9 m) Stone
tower that began operation in 1858 to replace the 74 feet (22.6 m) tower originally built in 1826. The United States Coast Guard decommissioned the light in 1974. In 1982 the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society (FILPS) was formed to preserve the lighthouse. FILPS raised over $1.2 million to restore the tower and light. On May 25, 1986 the United States Coast Guard
returned the Fire Island Lighthouse to an active aid to navigation. On February 22, 2006, the light became a private aid to navigation. It continues to be on the nautical charts, but is operated and maintained by the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society and not the USCG. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1981 and a boundary increase for the national historic district
occurred in 2010.
It is listed as Fire Island Light, number 695, in the USCG light lists.
When the lighthouse was built it was on the edge of Fire Island Inlet
and marked the western end of Fire Island. However Fire Island has extended itself through accumulating sand so that the lighthouse is now nearly six miles from the western end of the island at Democrat Point.
The Archives Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History has a collection (#1055) of souvenir postcard
s of lighthouses and has digitized 272 of these and made them available online. These include postcards of Fire Island Light with links to customized nautical charts provided by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
The lighthouse was featured in the 2002 sci-fi action comedy Men in Black II
.
- Field 5. It is open to the public daily. Tower tours are available for a small fee.
Great South Bay
Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...
, in southern Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on the western end of Fire Island
Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is one of the outer barrier islands adjacent to the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is approximately long and varies between broad. Fire Island is part of Suffolk County. It comprises a number of hamlets, census-designated places , and villages, all of which lie within the...
, a barrier island
Bar (landform)
A shoal, sandbar , or gravelbar is a somewhat linear landform within or extending into a body of water, typically composed of sand, silt or small pebbles. A spit or sandspit is a type of shoal...
off the southern coast of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The Lighthouse is located with in Fire Island National Seashore
Fire Island National Seashore
Fire Island National Seashore is a United States National Seashore that protects a section of Fire Island, an approximately long barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay....
and just to the east of Robert Moses State Park.
The current lighthouse
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....
is a 180 feet (54.9 m) Stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
tower that began operation in 1858 to replace the 74 feet (22.6 m) tower originally built in 1826. The United States Coast Guard decommissioned the light in 1974. In 1982 the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society (FILPS) was formed to preserve the lighthouse. FILPS raised over $1.2 million to restore the tower and light. On May 25, 1986 the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
returned the Fire Island Lighthouse to an active aid to navigation. On February 22, 2006, the light became a private aid to navigation. It continues to be on the nautical charts, but is operated and maintained by the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society and not the USCG. 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 1981 and a boundary increase for the national historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
occurred in 2010.
It is listed as Fire Island Light, number 695, in the USCG light lists.
When the lighthouse was built it was on the edge of Fire Island Inlet
Fire Island Inlet
Fire Island Inlet is an inlet on the south shore of Long Island, New York, USA.It connects the Great South Bay with the Atlantic Ocean, passing between Robert Moses State Park on the south and Oak Beach and Captree State Park on the north.The inlet is directly south of West Islip, the nearest...
and marked the western end of Fire Island. However Fire Island has extended itself through accumulating sand so that the lighthouse is now nearly six miles from the western end of the island at Democrat Point.
The Archives Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History has a collection (#1055) of souvenir postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s of lighthouses and has digitized 272 of these and made them available online. These include postcards of Fire Island Light with links to customized nautical charts provided by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
The lighthouse was featured in the 2002 sci-fi action comedy Men in Black II
Men in Black II
Men in Black II is a 2002 science fiction action comedy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The film also stars Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson and Rip Torn...
.
150 Anniversary
The lighthouse celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2008. That same year was the 100th Anniversary of Robert Moses State Park.Access
The lighthouse can be accessed by a short walk from Robert Moses State Park (Long Island)Robert Moses State Park (Long Island)
Robert Moses State Park - Long Island is a state park that is located in the state of New York.The park lies in southern Suffolk County on the western end of Fire Island, one of the central barrier Islands off the southern coast of Long Island...
- Field 5. It is open to the public daily. Tower tours are available for a small fee.
External links
- Fire Island Lighthouse Official Website
- Fire Island Lighthouse - from Lighthousefriends.com
- History of the Fire Island Lighthouse Video
- Fire Island Travel Guide