Tarrytown (Sleepy Hollow) Light
Encyclopedia
Tarrytown Light, also known as Kingsland Point Light and Sleepy Hollow Light, is a sparkplug lighthouse
on the east side of the Hudson River
in Sleepy Hollow
, New York, United States. It a conical steel structure erected in the 1880s. In 1979 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The need for a lighthouse to warn ships away from the shoal
s near the common route off Tarrytown
and Ossining
had been obvious by the mid-19th century. But high land values at two favored locations led the federal government to instead build it a half-mile (1 km) offshore. It was the only family station on the lower Hudson, the only conical steel lighthouse on the Hudson to have living quarters within it rather than attached, and the only lighthouse in Westchester County
. It remained in use until the mid-20th century; the construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge
on the shoals where it stood, and the development of the General Motors
Tarrytown Truck Assembly
plant on land reclaimed from the river to its east, made the light obsolete. Today it is part of a county park, and tours are available.
breakwater
connects it to the shore. To its immediate east is a large vacant area, once the site of a large manufacturing facility. Between it and the developed sections of Tarrytown are the tracks used by Metro-North Railroad
's Hudson Line
, Amtrak
's Empire Service
and CSX freight. The three-mile–long (5 km) Tappan Zee Bridge
carries the New York State Thruway
across the river a mile (1.6 km) to the south.
The building itself is a five-story conical structure on a foundation
of a stone pier and cast iron
caisson
that holds a concrete cylinder which accounts for half the lighthouse's weight, securing it in the river bottom. It is faced in welded steel plates. The base is painted red, the tower white, and the lantern room is black. There are eight windows at alternating intervals on the second and third stories, eight porthole
s evenly spaced around the fourth story and glazed glass around the lantern room. A catwalk with a roof supported by iron columns encircles the first story and provides access to the main entrance. Two additional catwalks are located around the fifth floor and the lantern room, the latter with a decorative iron railing. A flagpole rises from the fifth-floor catwalk's east side.
Inside, the entrance leads to the main living area, an 18-foot-wide (18 feet (5.5 m)) living room and kitchen. Above them, the second and third stories, both 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, had bedrooms. The wall interiors are faced in brick to better insulate
them. The fourth floor, currently empty, was divided between a bedroom and a workshop. Its ceiling has glass inserts to allow light from the lantern to filter down into it. From it a ladder leads up to the watch area and lantern room. The 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) fog bell remains there, but its works have been removed. In the cellar are the original coal shed and cistern
. A central column carries the cables and 50 pounds (22.7 kg) weight that rotate the lantern.
's construction made it redundant; since then expansion of the shoreline has also ended its isolation.
peoples who lived along its banks used the river European settlers
would later name after Henry Hudson
, the first of them to explore it, for commerce and trade. They were aware of the navigational hazards it offered their canoes, and built bonfires on the shores nearest tricky currents and hidden shallows. Colonists followed them as first sailing ships, then steamships, carried goods and passengers between New York City and the upper limit of navigable
waters at Troy
. Commerce sharply increased in the 1820s with the development of the Erie
and Delaware and Hudson
canals. The former connected the East Coast
with the recently settled Midwest
; the latter brought anthracite coal from Northeastern Pennsylvania
to New York City. The development of the railroad in the mid-19th century took much, but not all, of this traffic, and river shipping continues today.
To assist the ships, 14 lighthouses were built at various navigational hazards along the river. Six of them besides Tarrytown remain, from Peter's Hook
in Manhattan
to Hudson–Athens south of Albany, between those two communities. The shoal
s a half-mile (1 km) off Tarrytown and Ossining
(then known as Sing Sing) on the east bank of the river at the southern end of Haverstraw Bay
were particularly dangerous as mariners preferred to use that side. In 1847 a location for a light was identified at Teller's Point, the southern tip of Croton Point just north of Ossining, at the north end of the shoal. That land was then used as a vineyard
and its owner asked a higher price than the government was willing to pay. The following year Congress
appropriated
$4,000 ($ in modern dollars) to acquire a different site near Tarrytown, at the end of Tarrytown Point, the peninsula
created by the outflow of sediment from the Pocantico River. Steamboat captains consulted by the government suggested that the light should instead be located at Beekman's Point, two miles (3.2 km) away. Its owner likewise asked $3,000, which would not have left enough money to build the actual lighthouse.
A red spar buoy
marked the downriver end of the shoals in the meantime. Eventually, the current site, then offshore, was chosen. Construction began in 1882 at a cost of almost $21,000 ($ in modern dollars). Stones were piled on the shoal as part of its foundation
and a boat dock was built. The prefabricated sections of the 60-foot-tall (18 m) sparkplug lighthouse
arrived on a barge; the structure was assembled using anchored boats and scaffolding
. It would be the only one in Westchester County
, the only conical steel structure of the seven to have living quarters and the only one on the lower Hudson that could house a keeper and his family. Its original white lantern, with a fourth-order Fresnel lens
, could reportedly be seen up to 15 nautical miles (27.8 km) away.
) but has been known as Tarrytown Light on navigational charts since its construction. Jacob Ackerman, a retired schooner captain who had become president (mayor) of Sleepy Hollow, was the first of ten keepers
. In 1894, 11 years after it was lit, its lantern was changed from white to red. He served in the position until his retirement in 1904, saving 19 lives during that time. It became a local landmark. "The Tarrytown Lighthouse is a familiar sight to the landsman, and its kindly warning rays are always welcomed by mariners", wrote local journalist Isaac De Goff in a 1902 guide to the area.
In 1902 the lantern was changed again from solid red to flashing. Apart from routine reinforcement to the riprap and replacement of the dock no changes were made to the lighthouse building itself until the 1940s, when modern sanitary facilities were added. In 1947, an electrical connection was installed, eliminating the need for the kerosene
lamps that had provided routine illumination within the lighthouse. During the next decade, the original coal-fired steam heating system
was replaced with modern forced air
, and the sanitary facilities were further upgraded.
was built and opened to traffic. One of its piers, with its own set of navigational lights
, sat on the shoals which the lighthouse had been designed to warn against, channeling shipping away from them. The Coast Guard
responded by automating the light and reducing the flashing red lantern from 7000 candlepower
to 1500 in 1957. The need for the lighthouse was further reduced two years later when the federal government declared all but the hundred feet (30 m) of river bottom around the lighthouse to be surplus property, so that General Motors
(GM) could fill in
the area between it and the shore in order to expand its Tarrytown Truck Assembly
plant, a facility that incorporated the original Stanley Steamer factory built east of the railroad tracks in 1896. Two years later, in 1961, the light was decommissioned.
The lighthouse remained. In 1974, the county obtained an easement
from GM to build a footpath from nearby Kingsland Point Park to the lighthouse. The following year it built the path, and a small bridge, allowing the public to walk from the park to the lighthouse. The county also acquired the lighthouse itself, a purchase that was disputed by the Coast Guard at the time of its listing on the National Register. Occasionally tours of the building are offered.
, and in later years, the Coast Guard
, which absorbed the Lighthouse Service in 1939.
A coal-fired furnace fed the steam-heating system. Water for bathing and drinking was initially collected from rains on the roof and stored in the basement cistern
. Coal for refueling the furnace was dropped off by boat. All food had to be obtained by the keeper from land, either by boating to Tarrytown or walking across the ice (a potentially dangerous trip) in winter. The lantern and fog bell were powered by a battery; there was no other electricity in the lighthouse for its first 60 years. All lighting came from kerosene lamp
s.
Until 1943, keepers had lived there alone or with their wives. In 1943, Laurent LeClerc moved in with his wife and three children. During their time, further amenities were introduced, such as household electricity
, running water
and modern forced air heating.
The LeClercs were succeeded by what became another family, the Morelands, who became the last keepers of Tarrytown Light. In 1955, the Coast Guard offered a 20-year-old recruit, Richard Moreland, the position. He moved in with his new wife, Agnes, an Irish immigrant
who had been fascinated by the lighthouses near her home in her native country. During the two years they lived there, before the lighthouse was automated after the bridge was built, she gave birth to the couple's two daughters.
The Morelands have spoken to journalists, including Edward R. Murrow
, about family life in a lighthouse that was still, at the time, a half-mile from the nearest land. The Coast Guard supplied them with water, so they no longer needed to rely on the cistern, although it was still kept full. It was necessary to go back to the land at least every two days for milk, and they bought groceries every two weeks. The couple could never go out together as one of them had to remain at the lighthouse at all times. During one power outage
, Richard Moreland hung an emergency kerosene lamp in the lantern house and rang the fog bell himself.
Other than the isolation, they found the most difficult aspect of living in the lighthouse to be making rectilinear furniture fit against the curved walls. For fun, they primarily watched television, or fished
from the front door. Richard Moreland would occasionally swim in the river, with a rope tied around his waist so the currents would not carry him away. He said it was the best job in the Coast Guard since he did not have to pay for housing, and no traveling salesman came to call.
Sparkplug lighthouse
A sparkplug lighthouse, sometimes known as a bug light, is a type of caisson lighthouse so named because of its shape. Generally speaking, a sparkplug lighthouse consists of a three-story living area, with the lantern on top; the whole is then placed upon a concrete or metal caisson. The...
on the east side of 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...
in Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line.Originally...
, New York, United States. It a conical steel structure erected in the 1880s. In 1979 it was listed on 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...
.
The need for a lighthouse to warn ships away from the shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
s near the common route off Tarrytown
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
and Ossining
Ossining (village), New York
Ossining is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 25,060 at the 2010 census. As a village, it is located in the Town of Ossining.-Geography:Ossining borders the eastern shores of the widest part of the Hudson River....
had been obvious by the mid-19th century. But high land values at two favored locations led the federal government to instead build it a half-mile (1 km) offshore. It was the only family station on the lower Hudson, the only conical steel lighthouse on the Hudson to have living quarters within it rather than attached, and the only lighthouse in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
. It remained in use until the mid-20th century; the construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge
Tappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....
on the shoals where it stood, and the development of the General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
Tarrytown Truck Assembly
Tarrytown Truck Assembly
The North Tarrytown Assembly was an automobile factory in North Tarrytown, New York now known as Sleepy Hollow. Originally opened by the Stanley Steam Car Company in 1896, the plant was acquired by Maxwell-Briscoe in 1903 from the Ingersoll-Rand Drill Company. In 1913 Maxwell-Briscoe became just...
plant on land reclaimed from the river to its east, made the light obsolete. Today it is part of a county park, and tours are available.
Building
The lighthouse is situated just off the riverbank at the southern end of Kingsland Point Park. A 100-foot (30 m) pedestrian bridge and riprapRiprap
Riprap — also known as rip rap, rubble, shot rock or rock armour or "Rip-rap" — is rock or other material used to armor shorelines, streambeds, bridge abutments, pilings and other shoreline structures against scour, water or ice erosion.It is made from a variety of rock types, commonly granite or...
breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
connects it to the shore. To its immediate east is a large vacant area, once the site of a large manufacturing facility. Between it and the developed sections of Tarrytown are the tracks used by Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
's Hudson Line
Hudson Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line is a commuter rail line running north from New York City along the east shore of the Hudson River. Metro-North service ends at Poughkeepsie, with Amtrak's Empire Corridor trains continuing north to and beyond Albany...
, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Empire Service
Empire Service
Empire Service could refer to* Empire Service — a train service in New York State* BBC Empire Service — a radio service, the forerunner to the BBC World Service. - a cargo ship....
and CSX freight. The three-mile–long (5 km) Tappan Zee Bridge
Tappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....
carries the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
across the river a mile (1.6 km) to the south.
The building itself is a five-story conical structure on a foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
of a stone pier and cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
caisson
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
that holds a concrete cylinder which accounts for half the lighthouse's weight, securing it in the river bottom. It is faced in welded steel plates. The base is painted red, the tower white, and the lantern room is black. There are eight windows at alternating intervals on the second and third stories, eight porthole
Porthole
A porthole is a generally circular, window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Porthole is actually an abbreviated term for "port hole window"...
s evenly spaced around the fourth story and glazed glass around the lantern room. A catwalk with a roof supported by iron columns encircles the first story and provides access to the main entrance. Two additional catwalks are located around the fifth floor and the lantern room, the latter with a decorative iron railing. A flagpole rises from the fifth-floor catwalk's east side.
Inside, the entrance leads to the main living area, an 18-foot-wide (18 feet (5.5 m)) living room and kitchen. Above them, the second and third stories, both 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, had bedrooms. The wall interiors are faced in brick to better insulate
Insulation
Insulation means:* Building insulation, added to buildings for comfort and energy efficiency* Soundproofing, also known as acoustic insulation, any means of reducing the intensity of sound...
them. The fourth floor, currently empty, was divided between a bedroom and a workshop. Its ceiling has glass inserts to allow light from the lantern to filter down into it. From it a ladder leads up to the watch area and lantern room. The 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) fog bell remains there, but its works have been removed. In the cellar are the original coal shed and cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
. A central column carries the cables and 50 pounds (22.7 kg) weight that rotate the lantern.
History
Navigational aids had been part of travel on the river since before Europeans had arrived, and the hazardous shoals near the Tarrytowns had long been known. But even after the growth in commerce fueled by industrialization during the 19th century, it took a considerable amount of time to find a site for the lighthouse. It remained in service until the Tappan Zee BridgeTappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....
's construction made it redundant; since then expansion of the shoreline has also ended its isolation.
Prehistory–1882: The need for Hudson River lighthouses
The various Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
peoples who lived along its banks used the river European settlers
European colonization of the Americas
The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. The first Europeans to reach the Americas were the Vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies in Greenland and one short-lived settlement in present day Newfoundland...
would later name after Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
, the first of them to explore it, for commerce and trade. They were aware of the navigational hazards it offered their canoes, and built bonfires on the shores nearest tricky currents and hidden shallows. Colonists followed them as first sailing ships, then steamships, carried goods and passengers between New York City and the upper limit of navigable
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
waters at Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. Commerce sharply increased in the 1820s with the development of the Erie
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
and Delaware and Hudson
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
canals. The former connected the East Coast
East Coast
East Coast most often refers to coastline which is on the eastern side of a particular area. Many other terms refer to this initial meaning. Some of these things include:-Malaysia:* The East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.-New Zealand:...
with the recently settled Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
; the latter brought anthracite coal from Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
to New York City. The development of the railroad in the mid-19th century took much, but not all, of this traffic, and river shipping continues today.
To assist the ships, 14 lighthouses were built at various navigational hazards along the river. Six of them besides Tarrytown remain, from Peter's Hook
Little Red Lighthouse
The Little Red Lighthouse, officially Jeffrey's Hook Light is a small lighthouse on the Hudson River in New York City. It was made famous by the 1942 children's book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to Hudson–Athens south of Albany, between those two communities. The shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
s a half-mile (1 km) off Tarrytown and Ossining
Ossining (village), New York
Ossining is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 25,060 at the 2010 census. As a village, it is located in the Town of Ossining.-Geography:Ossining borders the eastern shores of the widest part of the Hudson River....
(then known as Sing Sing) on the east bank of the river at the southern end of Haverstraw Bay
Haverstraw Bay
Haverstraw Bay, located in New York, is the widest portion of the Hudson River. The width of Haverstraw Bay is approximately 3.4 miles . The length approximately 5 miles from river kilometer 58 at Croton Point to river kilometer 66 at Stony Point...
were particularly dangerous as mariners preferred to use that side. In 1847 a location for a light was identified at Teller's Point, the southern tip of Croton Point just north of Ossining, at the north end of the shoal. That land was then used as a vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
and its owner asked a higher price than the government was willing to pay. The following year Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
appropriated
Appropriation (law)
In law and government, appropriation is the act of setting apart something for its application to a particular usage, to the exclusion of all other uses....
$4,000 ($ in modern dollars) to acquire a different site near Tarrytown, at the end of Tarrytown Point, the peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
created by the outflow of sediment from the Pocantico River. Steamboat captains consulted by the government suggested that the light should instead be located at Beekman's Point, two miles (3.2 km) away. Its owner likewise asked $3,000, which would not have left enough money to build the actual lighthouse.
A red spar buoy
Spar buoy
A spar buoy is a tall, thin buoy that floats upright in the water and is characterized by a small water plane area and a large mass. Because they tend to be stable ocean platforms, spar buoys are popular for making oceanographic measurements. Adjustment of the water plane area and the mass allows...
marked the downriver end of the shoals in the meantime. Eventually, the current site, then offshore, was chosen. Construction began in 1882 at a cost of almost $21,000 ($ in modern dollars). Stones were piled on the shoal as part of its foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
and a boat dock was built. The prefabricated sections of the 60-foot-tall (18 m) sparkplug lighthouse
Sparkplug lighthouse
A sparkplug lighthouse, sometimes known as a bug light, is a type of caisson lighthouse so named because of its shape. Generally speaking, a sparkplug lighthouse consists of a three-story living area, with the lantern on top; the whole is then placed upon a concrete or metal caisson. The...
arrived on a barge; the structure was assembled using anchored boats and scaffolding
Scaffolding
Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...
. It would be the only one in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, the only conical steel structure of the seven to have living quarters and the only one on the lower Hudson that could house a keeper and his family. Its original white lantern, with a fourth-order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
, could reportedly be seen up to 15 nautical miles (27.8 km) away.
1883–1961: Active years
In 1883 it was formally lit. It was technically within the municipal boundaries of North Tarrytown (now Sleepy HollowSleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line.Originally...
) but has been known as Tarrytown Light on navigational charts since its construction. Jacob Ackerman, a retired schooner captain who had become president (mayor) of Sleepy Hollow, was the first of ten keepers
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
. In 1894, 11 years after it was lit, its lantern was changed from white to red. He served in the position until his retirement in 1904, saving 19 lives during that time. It became a local landmark. "The Tarrytown Lighthouse is a familiar sight to the landsman, and its kindly warning rays are always welcomed by mariners", wrote local journalist Isaac De Goff in a 1902 guide to the area.
In 1902 the lantern was changed again from solid red to flashing. Apart from routine reinforcement to the riprap and replacement of the dock no changes were made to the lighthouse building itself until the 1940s, when modern sanitary facilities were added. In 1947, an electrical connection was installed, eliminating the need for the kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
lamps that had provided routine illumination within the lighthouse. During the next decade, the original coal-fired steam heating system
Heating system
A heating system is a mechanism for maintaining temperatures at an acceptable level; by using thermal energy within a home, office, or other dwelling. Often part of an HVAC system. A heating system may be centralized or distributed.-See also:...
was replaced with modern forced air
Forced-air
A forced-air system is one which uses air as its heat transfer medium. These systems rely on ductwork, vents, and plenums as means of air distribution, separate from the actual heating and air conditioning systems. The return plenum carries the air from several large return grills to a central...
, and the sanitary facilities were further upgraded.
1961–present: Deactivation and preservation
Around that time the Tappan Zee BridgeTappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....
was built and opened to traffic. One of its piers, with its own set of navigational lights
Navigational aid
A navigational aid is any sort of marker which aids the traveler in navigation; the term is most commonly used to refer to nautical or aviation travel...
, sat on the shoals which the lighthouse had been designed to warn against, channeling shipping away from them. The 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...
responded by automating the light and reducing the flashing red lantern from 7000 candlepower
Candlepower
Candlepower is a now-obsolete unit which was used to express levels of light intensity in terms of the light emitted by a candle of specific size and constituents...
to 1500 in 1957. The need for the lighthouse was further reduced two years later when the federal government declared all but the hundred feet (30 m) of river bottom around the lighthouse to be surplus property, so that General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
(GM) could fill in
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
the area between it and the shore in order to expand its Tarrytown Truck Assembly
Tarrytown Truck Assembly
The North Tarrytown Assembly was an automobile factory in North Tarrytown, New York now known as Sleepy Hollow. Originally opened by the Stanley Steam Car Company in 1896, the plant was acquired by Maxwell-Briscoe in 1903 from the Ingersoll-Rand Drill Company. In 1913 Maxwell-Briscoe became just...
plant, a facility that incorporated the original Stanley Steamer factory built east of the railroad tracks in 1896. Two years later, in 1961, the light was decommissioned.
The lighthouse remained. In 1974, the county obtained an easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
from GM to build a footpath from nearby Kingsland Point Park to the lighthouse. The following year it built the path, and a small bridge, allowing the public to walk from the park to the lighthouse. The county also acquired the lighthouse itself, a purchase that was disputed by the Coast Guard at the time of its listing on the National Register. Occasionally tours of the building are offered.
Operations
Original keepers such as Ackerman lived an austere existence. They kept a daily log of weather conditions, maintenance, and any significant events that occurred during the day. It was collected every month by the Lighthouse ServiceUnited States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
, and in later years, the 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...
, which absorbed the Lighthouse Service in 1939.
A coal-fired furnace fed the steam-heating system. Water for bathing and drinking was initially collected from rains on the roof and stored in the basement cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
. Coal for refueling the furnace was dropped off by boat. All food had to be obtained by the keeper from land, either by boating to Tarrytown or walking across the ice (a potentially dangerous trip) in winter. The lantern and fog bell were powered by a battery; there was no other electricity in the lighthouse for its first 60 years. All lighting came from kerosene lamp
Kerosene lamp
The kerosene lamp is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. This article refers to kerosene lamps that have a wick and a tall glass chimney. Kerosene lanterns that have a wick and a glass globe are related to kerosene lamps and are included here as well...
s.
Until 1943, keepers had lived there alone or with their wives. In 1943, Laurent LeClerc moved in with his wife and three children. During their time, further amenities were introduced, such as household electricity
Mains electricity
Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power...
, running water
Running Water
Running Water may be:* Running Water, Tennessee, former name of Whiteside, Tennessee* Running Water, South Dakota, a community in Bon Homme County, South Dakota* "Running Water" from the 1983 album The Present...
and modern forced air heating.
The LeClercs were succeeded by what became another family, the Morelands, who became the last keepers of Tarrytown Light. In 1955, the Coast Guard offered a 20-year-old recruit, Richard Moreland, the position. He moved in with his new wife, Agnes, an Irish immigrant
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
who had been fascinated by the lighthouses near her home in her native country. During the two years they lived there, before the lighthouse was automated after the bridge was built, she gave birth to the couple's two daughters.
The Morelands have spoken to journalists, including Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
, about family life in a lighthouse that was still, at the time, a half-mile from the nearest land. The Coast Guard supplied them with water, so they no longer needed to rely on the cistern, although it was still kept full. It was necessary to go back to the land at least every two days for milk, and they bought groceries every two weeks. The couple could never go out together as one of them had to remain at the lighthouse at all times. During one power outage
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
, Richard Moreland hung an emergency kerosene lamp in the lantern house and rang the fog bell himself.
Other than the isolation, they found the most difficult aspect of living in the lighthouse to be making rectilinear furniture fit against the curved walls. For fun, they primarily watched television, or fished
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
from the front door. Richard Moreland would occasionally swim in the river, with a rope tied around his waist so the currents would not carry him away. He said it was the best job in the Coast Guard since he did not have to pay for housing, and no traveling salesman came to call.