I just saw a photograph of an old postcard of the Greenpoint Harbour lighthouse in New York. I think this would make a great HL piece.

Does anyone know the history of this Lighthouse and if it is still in existence?

Joanne

Joanne: It's not listed in the Shanklin's book or on the USCG or Nat.Maritime sites. Where was it? Did you find the photo on the web?

I have never heard of Greenpoint harbor lighthouse . Perhaps there is an error on the postcard and it should be Greenport. Try the lighthouses on this site and see if one of them is the one on your card.
http://www.greenport.com/lighthouses/welcome.htm


"the lightkeeper'

It is the Long Beach Bar(Bug)Light that Joanne was looking for. She saw the post card on Ebay. The postcard was correct but the description called the location Greenpoint not Greenport. You can see the card of the original light at Item # 136869688.

Mombo

Thank you for finding this for me. It is the Long Beach Bar (Bug) lighthouse that I saw. The postcard was from 1903 so it looked slightly different. I just liked the look of this one, sort of a Victorian house yet also a screwpiling. I'd like to see this as a HL.

Joanne

Screwpile, Joanne, it's called a screwpile!


Mombo

Mea Culpa, thanks for the correction. I'll remember it now.

Joanne

Long Beach Bar, “Bug Light”. This lighthouse was restored by the East End Maritime and Seaport Museums in 60 days, under the direction of Merle Wiggins. It was rebuilt on shore and transported to the original foundation. There is a story that a fisherman entered the bay at 6 am and noticed the foundation where Bug Light was before it burned. On his return trip late that same afternoon, he couldn't believe his eyes to see a lighthouse now standing in that very place. In talking to Merle, he said it was a true story and that the lighthoue was transported to the site at about 8 am and by 3:30 pm was completely bolted to the original foundation.

------------------
Long Island BOB




[This message has been edited by rscroope (edited 08-09-99).]

I visited the "Bug Light" last year when I was in Greenport, Long Island. I left my boat at Stirling Harbor Marina and took my Zodiac inflatable out to the light. The light is in excellent shape. It was a welcome surprise for me when I first saw it because I had never stopped at Greenport before and didn't even know the light existed. I'm not sure on the exact date of the destruction by fire of the original light, but I think it was somewhere around 1964. A "tip of the Captain's cap" to those responsible for restoring/replacing this exquisite lighthouse. For those of you unfamiliar with it's location, the light lies between Greenport and Shelter Island up near the eastern end and north fork of Long Island, NY. It's not far from Orient Point.

Bob

Hi Bob,
You're lucky to have seen Greenport in person. I saw an auction on ebay for a postcard and it stated it was "Greenpoint" NY. Now originally coming from Brooklyn and having been in Greenpoint, I could not imagine there was a lighthouse there. Fortunately I was able to get the correct name from my friends on the forum and I saw a picture. I must plan a trip back to NY to see this lighthouse and all the others that are always mentioned on the forum.

Joanne

Destroyed by arsonists on 7-4-63. New light relit on 9-5-90.

cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgil/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=136869688

(postcard Joanne saw of original light)

and

www.greenport.com/lighthouses/buglight2jpg

(photo of rebuilt light)

I agree, it would be a good candidate for HL.
Although very similar in design to other lights, ie. Rose Island, Esopus Meadows the "screwpiling" makes it quite unique. The new light appears to have additional support.
We purists would, naturally, insist on the original design.

Do we know why it is called the "bug light"?

Mombo

Guess these links don't work, sorry.

[This message has been edited by mombo (edited 08-09-99).]

Here a recent photo.

Long Beach Bar - Bug Light






[This message has been edited by rscroope (edited 08-10-99).]

Here's a corrected versin of Mombo's link

www.greenport.com/lighthouses/buglight2.jpg

(left out the period before jpg)

and some more info at the same site about the lite
www.greenport.com/lighthouses/#anchor2095264

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 08-10-99).]

Thanks Dave!

MOMBO

The Bug is a valued part of the North Fork. The original light, built in 1870, was indeed built on a screwpile foundation. This was changed in the 1920s in order to facilitate the installation of a steam heating system, which was based in the new concrete foundation. The Bridgeport Harbor lighthouse was the sister light to the Bug, but no longer stands.

The Bug Light designation comes from the appearance of the structure on its original screw pile foundation. I have seen several photos of the light from back then and it did look like a big bug on the water. I hope to include such a photo in my book.

Officially known as the Long Beach Bar light, the present structure differs slighthly from the original, with the principal difference being that the new tower is four feet taller than the original. Merle Wiggin has told me that they did this because the old design looked a little squat.

The light was decommissioned in 1945, sold to the historical society in 1955, and was burned by arsonists July 4, 1963. $140, 000 was raised in 1990 and the new light erected. Within a couple of months, the light received two shotgun blasts which incurred about $2000 woth of damage. Originally resurrected as a private aid to navigation, the Bug was re-established as a federal aid in 1993.

You can barely see the light from the pplaque on Rte 25A. The best way to see it is by boat, such as the annual East End Seaport lighthouse cruise in June.

It sure is a pretty light.

Bob Muller
Stony Brook, NY
wildbird99@aol.com
www.longislandlighthouses.com

The East End Seaport Foundation has