HORTON POINT LIGHTHOUSE
Southold, Long Island
New York
This well-kept lighthouse sits out on a little point just north of Southold. Man the first time I tried to see this lighthouse, it was raining. See the photo of Montauk. I couldn't even get out of my car there in the parking lot at Horton Point. The photo below is the best I could do. It looks like I took the picture through the wet car window, but I rolled down the window and took the shot and rolled the window back up. It just was pouring down rain. When I came back the next day, the weather was much nicer.
A lighthouse was first constructed here in 1857, according to some of my references, while another states that George Washington commissioned one here in 1790. So this one you see in my photos was built in 1857 and shone its light out through a 3rd order lens. The square tower stood 58 feet high and had a focal plane of 103 feet from its lofty position on top off the cliff overlooking the Long Island Sound. It was deactivated in 1933 and replaced by a skeleton tower beacon. They used the tower during a couple of wars as a lookout post for enemy submarines.
The tower and buildings fell into disrepair and vandalism caused a great deal of damage. It survived a demolishing threat in the 60's and was finally saved by the Southold Historical Society and the Southold Park District. Restoration was completed and in 1990, the lighthouse once again cast forth its light. There is a wonderful museum in the keeper's quarters and the most wonderful people are caretakers there. I arrived early in the morning and no one was there except a man outside working with a new rope for the flag. The flagpole, by the way, uses the base of the old skeleton tower that was disassembled and removed after Horton Point was relit. I wandered around the grounds taking pictures from various perspectives and then he said I could come in. He showed me all around took, me up in the lantern room, and talked about some of the old relics they had in the museum. Two others had joined us and I found that their attitude made a very positive difference in my experience.
Here's how I
saw it:
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OF THE MOUNTAINS
John B Caddell
Copyright 2001