What Makes New York Special Among Lighthouse States?

There is something unique about New York when it comes to lighthouses. Can anyone think of what it is that sets this one state apart from the others?

Ummm.... Lights on the Ocean, a river, and the Great lakes?

NY has some very unique lighthouse lovers......

Let's see, Mike & Patty, Mombo, JJ, Stephen, Lonnie, Eskilady and others........

While Dave is correct... It was Eric's answer I was looking for. Lighthouses on Great Lakes, salt water shores, river, canal, AND inland lake. The only state with all of these types.

Also, John, NY has a variety of styles and types of construction of lighthouses. Granite, brick, cast iron, concrete, screwpile, tall coastal towers, etc. New York has it all!

I'm not biased...much. :p

I answered as I did because I got out-weaseled....

... and weaseled 'others'!

Ya see, Dave... Now you've got Scroope mad at ya 'cause he didn't get included in your original list. I'd avoid Long Island if I were you. Bob knows a lot of lawyers.

Not that I am biased or anything like that as I have lived in 6 different states but for me NY has been one of the best as far as lighthousing goes. I live within a day trip of Sodus PT,Charlotte Genesee, Thirty Mile Point, Fort Niagara, and Dunkirk Lights. Now if it would just stop snowing long enough for me to take the short 16 mile drive to Thirty Mile point to take a winter photo and hope the old camera doesn't freeze up.

NY has lighthouses on Ocean, Bay, Sound, River, two of the Great Lakes,and inland lake.The majors are covered here for sure.

Now if someone could just talk those folks(yea I'm from the south)in Albany into a tax break it
would be just peachy! LOL

Actually, I left Bob and the other Long Islanders off the list intentionally - I thought they considered themselves a separate state from mainland NY. . . . . . .

Also, New York lighthouses have the most snow!!!

Dave--LOL! I know more than a few Long Islanders that feel that way!

I'm not a native New Yorker (or Long Islander). I was born and raised in New Jersey (or Joizey as they say it here).

Diane,
A screwpile lighthouse in NY state? I cannot think of one, so could you please give me the name.

Robert

How about Long Beach Bar Robert? Once upon a time it had a screwpile foundation.

http://www.longislandlighthouses.com/buglight.htm

And the Sleuth comes through again- in less than 40 minutes at that.



Dennis

Since our fine Governor Pataki, who keeps telling us that new "user fees" are not increased taxes, has proposed a new fee on all sporting events and amusement park tickets, I suspect that NY will be the first state to have a surcharge on all lighthouse visits. Just imagine that it costs $3.00 to climb a light with a $5.00 state surcharge. And make sure you don't get a parking ticket near the lighthouse. A $10.00 parking ticket now has a $25.00 NYS surcharge attached. That would certainly make NY different.

Talk about some creative ways to hose the public! You guys sure do elect some real doozies to political office. Wonder how many lights are on state property - isn't Fort Niagara?

According to the Shanklin's list of US lights, there are 69 NY lights. There must be many on state property.

Thirty Mile Point is on state property. Golden Hill State Park Lyndonville, NY

Horseshoe Reef in Buffalo is/was another screwpile lighthouse. Unfortunately there's not much left of this one.

http://nylights.photosite.com/NYLights/NYSSeaway/horseshoereef.html

Looks like that one is for the birds, Sue.

Robert, Mombo is correct. Long Beach Bar WAS a screwpile light, until the 1920s, when the concrete foundation was built into order to install central heating system (just imagine how cold it would be to live in a screwpile lighthouse in winter!). In fact, it was extremely unusual to see a screwpile lighthouse this far north, and LBB had a difficult time with ice flows. It got its nickname "Bug Light" because it looked like a bug perched on top of the water before the concrete foundation was installed.

If you check out ebay, every once in a while you can find an old postcard that shows LBB as a screwpile.

As for our governor adding on a "user fee" to state parks...GRR. Fire Island (the lighthouse itself) shouldn't be affected because it technically controlled by the National Park Service. Field 5 (where you park in order to walk to the lighthouse) is part of Robert Moses State Park, so you'd probably get charged more $$ to park. Montauk Point is owned by the Montauk Historical Society, but again, I believe the parking lot is part of a state park. Cedar Island Lighthouse is in a county park. Horton Point is owned by Southold Historical Society, so there wouldn't be any issues there. Old Field is owned by the Village of Old Field (and you can't park there anyway). Eaton's Neck is part of a Coast Guard Station. Coney Island is part of a gated community. Cold Spring Harbor and Sands Point are on private property.

The rest of LI's lights are offshore. And once I'm off of LI, I can't help with any other NY lights.

New York State Parks Website:

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/

Currently you can avoid parking fees for Ft. Niagara if you are a NY resident 62+ and visit on a weekday.

Here's a scan of Long Beach Bar with its screwpile foundation (from an old postcard):
LBB with its screwpile foundation