Stuyvesant Lighthouse

I have been collecting antique lighthouse postcards for about twelve years and this is the first one of this lighthouse that I have ever come across (so I purchased it).The Stuyvesant Lighthouse was the northern most of the Hudson River lighthouses, located about seventeen miles south of Albany. It was established in 1829 and discontinued in 1933. It was torn down shortly thereafter.



"TheLightkeeper"

Thanks, Lightkeeper.....'love the architecture. Could you share some more of those "cards" with us?

------------------
Brent

Great find Mike. Thanks for sharing. It's similar to the photo in Ruth Glunt's book bit a little nicer I think. Must have been a warm day with the windows being open. Also the big tree on the right is gone but your card has a little one.

[This message has been edited by mombo (edited 02-27-2000).]

Thanks for the picture Mike. It's too bad they just tore down so many lighthouse when they stopped using them. I wonder what condition Stuyvesant was in when they tore it down. Anything in your book, Mombo?

Dave

"Lighthouses and Legends of the Hudson" by Ruth Glunt is the book that came with the Tarrytown HL. The lighthouse in Mike's picture was the 2nd built in 1868. The original was 1829. Although torn down in 1933 Ruth states that this second lighthouse was "closed down long before when dredging changed the course of the channel and a lighted tower was placed elsewhere." Also, "When torn down in 1933, the huge foundation stones were moved for the base of the porch of the Stuyvesant Post Office".

Many of the Hudson River Lighthouses are the 2nd or even 3rd at their locations. At one point I started to do a timeline to see if it would make it easier to figure out. It did seem to make a little more sense. Depending on the source the dates varied somewhat. Maybe someday I'll finish it!

Today a skeleton tower marks the place where the Stuyvesant Lighthouse stood. Probably the most famous piece of history concerning this lighthouse happened in 1832 when an ice jam which had formed up river broke and washed away the lighthouse and four members of the keeper's family. Legend has that the mother did not heed the warning because she wanted to finish her ironing. As a result four of their children were drowned. They are buried in the old Butler Cemetary in Stuyvesant, except for the youngest whose body was never found. A new lighthouse was completed in 1838. Stuyvesant's lighthouse was rebuilt for a third time in 1868. Once again in 1902 an ice jam developed, this time down river from the lighthouse between the Stuyvesant Lighthouse and the Coxsackie Lighthouse. However the water backed up flooding the lighthouse at Stuyvesant and when the ice jam broke, the old (1838) dwelling was washed away. The present lighthouse had fared better than its predesessors, having sustained only minor damage to the tower and needing some repairs made to the walls. It was fully operational by the summer of that year. This time no one was in the lighthouse when the ice gave way.
The early lighthouses on the upper part of the Hudson River did not fare well due to ice flows and spring flooding and the fact that were not well constructed.
Stuyvesant was established in 1829 and was rebuilt twice, in 1837 and in 1868.
Coxsackie was established in 1830 and was rebuilt in 1868.
Saugerties was established in 1836 and rebuilt in 1869.
Rondout was established in 1837 and was rebuilt in 1867 and in 1915 a third lighthouse was built on the north side of the Rondout Creek.The first two lighthouses were on the south side of the creek.


"TheLightkeeper"

Thanks, "Keep", for that neat piece of history on Stuyvesant...I really enjoyed it! I've been associated with the "Lights" for darn near 30 years and it never ceases to amaze me how much there is to learn about'em!

------------------
Brent