Hi Folks,

Wanted to share a lighthouse "adventure" with you folks......hope I don't bore you all.

I work on the road for a portion of the day and when I get the chance in between jobs I do a little side trip to the nearest lighthouse. Today I was lucky enough to have a 1/2 hour to kill and Old field Point was in between stops so I headed up to the point to do my customary walk around the grounds with my binoculars, check out the Middleground Light (which is visible from the grounds) and also see if I could spot Eatons Neck popping out of the trees "down the coast".

When I pulled in the village constable was there so asked for permission to walk around (as I ALWAYS do). His reply was "Would you like to climb up into the lantern room"? I told him "No Thanks". (If any one believed that I have a bridge to sell them).

He escorted me through the building, took me to the 2nd floor, opened a door for me and said "Here you go, don't worry about closing the trap door, I'll get it later".

WOW!! What a thrill and what a view!!!!!

I was up ther for about 10 minutes, I could have stayed longer but I did not want to wear out my welcome.

The constable was extremly nice and invited me back ( bring the wife and kids). His wife was also very nice and said I could come back any time. He even gave me a shoulder patch with the lighthouse embriodered on it.

After visitng this historic L.I. light for quite some time it was really a thrill to actually be able to get in and climb.

Thanks for reading!

Keep the Flame!!

P.S. For those unfamiliar with the Old Field Point Light please go to www.longislandlighthouses.com
It's a great site!!!
Great Photos and some history.

[This message has been edited by Mike Seewald (edited 06-23-99).]

That is so exciting. What an experience. What a wonderful surprise for you.

What a great story Mike! Thanks for sharing with us. I can't believe I've taken the ferry twice from Bridgeport and didn't see the lighthouse. Actually I probably looked right at it and didn't realize. But then that was before I got so intested in LH's. Probably hold the record of "Places that I've been with LH's that I didn't bother to check out."

Lighthouse Dunce

Mike,

What great luck you had! Not only the chance to climb to the lantern room but a special souvenir to boot! The constable sounds as if he was a most gracious host. Your post will probably have a number of people suddenly interested in visiting the Old Field Point community!

Dave

Morning Mike,

What a great serendipity for you! Thanks so much for sharing the experience.
Derith

That's great Mike! That's quite a change from my experience about 6 months ago.
I think it's great to have such a proactive constable.
He certainly deserves our effort in finding him that Old Field HL.

Hi,

Just want to thank all for you nice replies!!

To Mombo.........

You can't be a "Lighthouse Dunce" if you were not into lighthouses at the time. I prefer to think that you were not enlightend.
I relly hate to bring this up but if you took the Bridgeport to Port Jefferson ferry you missed the Stratford Shoals (a.k.a Middleground) Lighthouse as well ?

My physic abilities forsee a ferry trip in the near future for you. I see you standing on deck with binoculars in hand and camera around your neck. I also see you trying to persaude the captain to stop for "just a minute" for a photo op.



[This message has been edited by Mike Seewald (edited 06-25-99).]

Mike,

You did not by chance take any pictures from the lantern room showing the view from various direction?

Moby

Moby,

Unfortunately I did not have a camera with me. However, you can be sure that if I am able to climb Olf Field again (which I think I will) the camera will be with me.

Mike

Wow, Mike. That was a case of good luck. If I'm ever up on LI lighthouseing, I hope I chatch the same luck brak you got.

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Weasel58


Wow to me. This was post number 50, I have finally arrived!!



[This message has been edited by Weasel58 (edited 06-25-99).]

Mike,
I hope the next time you climb into the Old Field latern room, you say "Bob, can you hold my camera while I climb in."
Anonymous(lol)

Hopefully, Mike's experience is a glimpse of things to come. The new Mayor of Old Field is interested in trying to open the light to the public. You can be sure he'll encounter resistance from the residents, but we'll see how it turns out.

I plan on contacting the mayor within the next few weeks and see what the plan is. With any luck, I'll get to take a trip to the lantern, too. And since I just dumped a bunch of money on a new camera, I always have it with me for photo ops. Perhaps Mike and I will tag-team the mayor and try to get him psyched about pushing the Old Field anti-outsider mentality.

The Old Field light does have some interesting history. I don't have a complete history of it yet, but I'll have more on my web site in a couple of weeks.

On a related subject, has anyone ever heard of a light at the Port Jeff Harbor Inlet? There was a bill introduced in Congress in 1896 (or 94), but I hadn't seen any more mention of it until a small article in one of the local papers about 1 1/2 weeks ago. The article was written by the Brokhaven Town historian and his wife and was about a keeper that served at the Stratford Shoal and Port Jeff Harbor Inlet light around the turn of the century. It included a picture of a man in front of a wooden structure which the caption identified as the Port Jefferson Harbor Inlet lighthouse. I've asked a couple of LI lighthouse experts and have thus far received blank looks. I wrote to the historian about it, so we'll see. It's possible there's an unknown LI light (which is, by the way, the title with which I usually refer to the Cold Spring Harbor light).

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

That's great news Mike. I remeber when I was younger and how hard it was just to even get close to Old Field Point. Knowing that you had success there makes me very excited about my upcoming trip to LI in August. Hopefully I will have the same luck as you did.

John

Bad news...

Unfortunately, Old Field mayor is NOT interested in opening the light up to the public, as I had been told by a usually reliable source. I spoke to Mayor Staller about fifteen minutes ago and there was no hesitation or hint of a "maybe." No, the light will not be opened to the public.

That's a damn shame. But it doesn't mean I won't try to find a way to change his mind. And it doesn't mean that Mike won't continue to find a way to get in there. Guess I have to buddy-up to Mike to get a look, huh?

On a side note, there was a daughter or granddaughter (too many people to remember exactly) of the last Old Field keeper at the presentation I gave at Ponce Inlet Saturday. She even brought old photos and documents with her. She'll be sending me copies of that stuff. I'll post anything interesting here and on my site.

And as I had mentioned a few weeks ago, there was indeed a lighthouse at the Port Jefferson Inlet. In fact, there have been three or four (presumably due to damage caused by storms). The light was on the east side of the inlet and was built sometime after 1894 (it appears on the 1903 light list). All that presently remains is a concrete slab. I'm still trying to dig up info on this one. Looks like I'll have another chapter in the book and another page on the web site.

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

That is real bad new Bob. I was looking foward to going there next month on my trip. Would have been nice to go inside, but I will try to just stop by and take pictures.

John

Sorry for the bad news, John. Maybe Mike, the guy with the inside line at the light, can still get you in.

Let me know when you'll be out my way. Perhaps I can offer some tour guide assistance. And be sure to see the exhibit at The Museums at Stony Brook; it's on the way to the Old Field light.

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

Bob,
I'm booking my flight on Friday. Looks like it will be August 11-15. I will be heading that way on the 14th in the am hours on my way out to Orient and Horton Point. Some assistance would be nice. Thanks.

John

Hi John,

I really don't know what I'll be doing on the 14th of August. However, contact me when you have an idea about what time you would like to go up to Old Field and I'll see if I can help you out.

I think this thread deserves to be kept around for a bit. It shows the good things that can come from the efforts of one person! Good job, Mike, and thanks for your efforts.

Dave

Aw Shucks Dave!! Thanks for the kind words!

A little update on Old Field Point.........

I have almost finished the application to have the lighthouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I am just waiting for the official go ahead from the mayor before I send off to Albany.

Mike,
Nice to see that you have stirred up some local, official interest in your adopted lighthouse. The historic designation may help the town with some funding to maintain the light.

Dave

Was "Lighthouse of the Day"
July 14, 2001 Bob Scroope Old Field Point NY http://harbourlights.com/lighthouses/Today/July/July_14_01.htm


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KRISTIN ERIN SCROOPE
kristin@scroope.net
http://www.scroope.net/lighthouses/lhlist.htm

Thank You!! Mike Seewald 11 07-01-1999 07:09 AM http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum1/HTML/000357.html


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KRISTIN ERIN SCROOPE
kristin@scroope.net
http://www.scroope.net/lighthouses/lhlist.htm
http://www.LILighthouseSociety.org