Happy 225th Anniversary to Montauk Point Lighthouse!

Lighting New York State’s Easternmost Point since 1796

Everyone on the East End has driven behind a car with the famous “Montauk — The End” sticker on its bumper. Mia Certic, Montauk Historical Society’s first Executive Director, has a vision for Montauk Point Lighthouse’s current 225th Anniversary year that would read “Montauk Lighthouse — A New Beginning”. Mia has planned book signings, live performances and special exhibits at the Lighthouse Museum, to focus attention and increase worldwide appreciation of the first lighthouse in New York State, and the fourth oldest active one in the United States. Major restoration of the Lighthouse tower, renovation of the attached “1860’s Building”, reconstruction of the pillbox that was purposely pushed off the cliff in 1976 because of erosion, and revetment of the receding shoreline, currently reduced from the original 300 feet from the tower to a current 95 feet, are advancing at high speed in this special year.

Before President George Washington commissioned the installation of Montauk Point Lighthouse in 1792, the most effective method of warning nearby boats that they were approaching Montauk Point, was creating huge bonfires on the bluffs at Turtle Cove, commonly set by Montaukett Indians, the local residents at the time. 

Surprisingly, it took only five months to construct the 110-foot Lighthouse in 1796, with the cornerstone being laid on June 7th. Since there were no roads on the property at the time, custom utility roads had to be carved out of the land, so that oxen could pull the Connecticut sandstone blocks up to the building site. Credit for choosing and surveying the site and drawing up the blueprints goes to then New York State Senator Ezra L’Hommedieu. The octagonal Lighthouse Tower itself was designed by architect John McComb, Jr. 

For Richard “Dick” White, Jr., the current Chair of the Montauk Historical Society’s Lighthouse Committee, Montauk Point Lighthouse is a family affair. His late wife Elizabeth Lee “Betsy” White was M.H.S. President for 20 years. For many years the U.S. Coast Guard tried various ways to hand over its Lighthouse responsibilities to another party. Betsy White played a key role in the Montauk Historical Society’s assumption of the duties of managing the Lighthouse property, including concessions, the Lighthouse Museum, care of buildings and grounds and the tower itself. The Coast Guard would retain only control of the Aids To Navigation (A.T.O.N.), that is, the light and fog signals.

In April of 1986, the takeover was proposed at a meeting on Governors Island, home of U.S. Coast Guard District 1. In attendance were M.H.S. President Peggy Joyce, Betsy and Dick White, Craig Tuthill, Lena Greenwald and George Biondo. Legislation transferring Lighthouse property to the MHS was officially signed by President Bill Clinton on September 30, 1996. For the latest updates about the Anniversary celebration, please visit:
www.montaukhistoricalsociety.org.