Fire Island Light was an important landmark for transatlantic ships coming into New York Harbor at the turn of the last century. For many European immigrants, the Fire Island Light was their first sight of land upon arrival in America.
The first lighthouse built on Fire Island was completed in 1826. It was a 74-foot high, cream colored, octagonal pyramid made of Connecticut River blue split stone. The tower was built at the end of the island, adjacent to the inlet. This tower was not effective due to its lack of height. It was taken down and the stone was reused to build the terrace for the present lighthouse. Today a circular ring of bricks and stone are all that remain of the original lighthouse. Due to the westward migration of sand along the beach, known as littoral drift, the inlet is now approximately six miles westward of this site.
In 1857 Congress appropriated $40,000 for the construction of a new tower, 168 feet tall. It was lit for the first time on November 1, 1858. This tower was made of red brick, painted a creamy yellow color. The tower was changed to the present day-mark of alternating black and white bands in August 1891.
The new tower was fitted with a First Order Fresnel Lens, which emitted a white flash at one minute intervals. A Funk Lamp with 4 concentric wicks was used for illumination. Over the years various fuels were used for the lamps, including whale oil, lard oil, mineral oil and kerosene. Electricity finally reached the lighthouse on September 20, 1938. However, on September 21, 1938 a hurricane struck the island, effectively severing all electric power to the island and causing a delay in the electrification of the Fire Island Light Station. The United States Coast Guard has been present on Fire Island since its inception in 1915. A Coast Guard Station was established on the Lighthouse tract. Eventually the United States Lighthouse Service was dissolved. The administration of lighthouses was placed under the jurisdiction of the US Coast Guard in 1939 "in the interest of economy and efficiency" (Presidential Reorganization Act).
The Fire Island Lighthouse was decommissioned as an aid to navigation on December 31, 1973. The new aid to navigation was a "small flash tube optic" installed atop the Robert Moses State Park Water Tower.
After the Fire Island Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1974, the Coast Guard gave the National Park Service a five-year permit to use the entire Lighthouse Tract (approximately 82 acres). In 1979, the tract was declared by law to be within the boundaries of the Fire Island National Seashore. With limited funds, the major function of the Park Service during its early administration of the Lighthouse tract was to prevent further deterioration of the buildings through neglect and vandalism. Between 1974 and 1980, private citizens grouped together in an effort to "save the Fire Island Lighthouse." The strobe light on the Robert Moses Tower only shone seaward and was of no use to boaters on the Great South Bay. Public support for restoration of the Fire Island Lighthouse was great among the Baymen.
In 1982, the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed. They successfully raised over 1.3 million dollars for the restoration and preservation of the Fire Island Lighthouse. In 1984, the Fire Island Lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Lighthouse was restored to its 1939 condition, which is when electricity was first installed. On Memorial Day, May 28, 1986, the Fire Island Lighthouse was relit and reinstated as an official aid to navigation.
In December 1996 the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society (FILPS) through an agreement with the National Park Service took over the maintenance and operation of the Fire Island Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters'
Today the light is lit by two 1000-watt bulbs, which rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, giving the appearance of a flash every 7.5 seconds. The light is visible for approximately 21-24 miles.
In January 2006 FILPS took over the ownership and maintenance of the beacon from the United States Coast Guard. The beacon will continue to remain on all charts as a private aid to navigation.
Theres a little slide show if you hold your cursor over the 2nd. pic.
Return of the Original 1858 1st Order Fresnel Lens to the Fire Island Lighthouse
Photo courtesy Gordon D. Canary, District Office Manager for New York State Senator Owen H. JohnsonParticipants in July 22, 2011 Fire Island Light Station Fresnel Lens Building ribbon-cutting include donor recognition ceremony speakers. From left: building contractor Kenneth J. Herman, Fire Island National Seashore Supt. Chris Soller, NY State Senator Owen Johnson, Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society President Thomas F. Roberts, III, and Stephanie Toothman, NPS Cultural Resources.
The "Return of the Original 1858 Fresnel Lens" to the Fire Island Lighthouse has finally been realized, after years of vision, planning, fundraising, compliance and construction.
One of few remaining first order Fresnel lenses, this artifact on loan from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to the National Park Service. Its Recovery Act-funded restoration was by accomplished by a team of former USCG lampists.
It is displayed in the new specially-designed Fresnel Lens Building donated to the Fire Island National Seashore from the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society on July 22, 2011, and now open to the public.
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When the present Fire Island Light began operation on November 1, 1858, it was illuminated by a state-of-the-art first order Fresnel (pronounced fray-nel') lens, an intricate beehive-shaped mass of brass and glass prisms, rotating on a clockwork assembly. This lighting apparatus served as a beacon to mariners from the top of the Fire Island Lighthouse from 1858 to 1933.
In anticipation of the electrification of the Fire Island Light, the original lens was taken out of service in 1933, disassembled, crated up, and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it was displayed at the Franklin Institute. In 2000, it was removed from permanent exhibit, disassembled, crated and placed in storage. It was moved to Long Island, New York, in 2007.
On March, 8, 2011, the Fire Island Light Station's first lighting apparatus-now more than 150 years old-made its way back to Fire Island...still in crates. Its future home, an intriguing new building designed specifically to display the impressive 16-foot-tall artifact, is still under construction.
The lens was reassembled during the spring of 2011, and unveiled to the public on July 22, 2011.
The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society (FILPS), a nonprofit organization which was instrumental in the preservation of the deteriorating Fire Island Lighthouse in the late 1970s, now operates visitor services at the site under a cooperating agreement with the National Park Service at Fire Island National Seashore. Since 2006, FILPS has also maintained the Fire Island Light as a private aid to navigation under an agreement with the United States Coast Guard.
FILPS is authorized as a fundraising partner to support maintenance and improvements at the Fire Island Lighthouse, and since 2005 has helped raise more than $400,000 for the construction of the new building to display and interpret Fire Island's original first order Fresnel lens.
.textWrappedAroundImage { MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15px}.floatingImage { TEXT-ALIGN: left; WIDTH: 150px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 8px; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-LEFT: 15px}.floatingImage P { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px}.floatingImage P.credit { TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; COLOR: #aaa; FONT-SIZE: 9px}.floatingImage P.caption { COLOR: #668033}.clearfix:after { DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 0px; VISIBILITY: hidden; CLEAR: both; CONTENT: "."}.clearfix { DISPLAY: inline-block}.clearfix { DISPLAY: block}* HTML .clearfix { HEIGHT: 1%}Brief History of Fire Island's Fresnel Lens
The first Fire Island Lighthouse, 74 feet tall, was built on the western end of Fire Island in 1826; its light could be seen for 10 nautical miles out to sea. In 1852, Congress—following the recommendation of the United States Lighthouse Service—ordered the Fresnel-type of apparatus to be installed in all newly constructed lighthouses.
The current Fire Island Lighthouse, completed in 1858 with a state-of-the-art revolving first order Fresnel lens and Funck hydraulic lamp using whale oil, had a focal plane of 166 feet above sea level, so that this light could be seen from ships at least 21 nautical miles at sea. This was a part of a national initiative to improve maritime safety. It is significant today as a symbol of the commercial and maritime heritage of the United States, and the evolution of communication and navigational technologies. The Fresnel lens helps tell that story.
This original first order Fresnel lens, an intricate beehive-shaped mass of brass and glass prisms, served as a beacon to mariners from the top of the Fire Island Lighthouse from 1858 to 1933. After being taken out of service, it was displayed at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia from 1939 to 2000.
A "Return of the Lens" has long been envisioned. In 1986, Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) identified the lens as an important artifact that was envisioned for inclusion in the park's cultural history collection. Informal discussions with the Franklin Institute, the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society (FILPS), and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) were initiated in 1991. When the lens was slated for removal from the Franklin Institute in 2000, FINS and FILPS began formal discussions with USCG for the transfer of the object to the National Park Service (NPS) on a long-term, renewable loan. By 2001, more than 30 crates of the disassembled lens were being stored by the NPS, awaiting construction of a suitable display facility.
At one point, the Seashore's Patchogue Ferry Terminal was considered for the display of the lens. While that project was scaled back, the FILPS worked with Fire Island National Seashore staff and maritime history experts to assess appropriate solutions for the return of the lens to the Fire Island Lighthouse.
Assessment of Alternatives: 1st Order Fresnel Lens, April 2004
In 2007, the NPS drafted the appropriate agreements, conducted required environmental reviews and selected a development alternative that determined that a new structure would be built to house and display the historic lens. The new building is being built in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's standards for new construction at historic sites and must be compatible with the architectural styles of the 1939 Light Station Tract, reminiscent of the mass and scale of historic buildings previously located on the site.
.textWrappedAroundImage { MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15px}.floatingImage { TEXT-ALIGN: left; WIDTH: 150px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 8px; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-LEFT: 15px}.floatingImage P { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px}.floatingImage P.credit { TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; COLOR: #aaa; FONT-SIZE: 9px}.floatingImage P.caption { COLOR: #668033}.clearfix:after { DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 0px; VISIBILITY: hidden; CLEAR: both; CONTENT: "."}.clearfix { DISPLAY: inline-block}.clearfix { DISPLAY: block}* HTML .clearfix { HEIGHT: 1%} Approved plan called for the construction of a new display building that resembled a generator building located on site from 1894-1940s.
Plans for a New Fresnel Lens Display Building
An environmental assessment and assessment of effect for the proposed construction of a building to display the Fire Island Light Station's original first order Fresnel lens was available for public review in early 2007.
Figure 8: Fire Island Lighthouse Historic Power Station Photo
After a period of public review and comment, a Finding of No Significant Impact was signed in August 2007, paving the way for planning and fundraising to create a new home for first light used at the Fire Island Lighthouse.
.textWrappedAroundImage { MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15px}.floatingImage { TEXT-ALIGN: left; WIDTH: 150px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 8px; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-LEFT: 15px}.floatingImage P { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px}.floatingImage P.credit { TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; COLOR: #aaa; FONT-SIZE: 9px}.floatingImage P.caption { COLOR: #668033}.clearfix:after { DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 0px; VISIBILITY: hidden; CLEAR: both; CONTENT: "."}.clearfix { DISPLAY: inline-block}.clearfix { DISPLAY: block}* HTML .clearfix { HEIGHT: 1%}In 2008-09, plans for the new historically-compatible building were fine-tuned as archeological surveys were conducted and permits were completed. During the summer of 2009, the boathouse was relocated close to its original location north of the Lighthouse, making way for construction of the lens display building.
The lens display building is constructed over the foundation of the former power generation building that stood at the site from 1894 to the late 1940s. Since the mid-1950s, the boathouse had been sitting on this foundation. The new building will offer enhanced visitor experiences, providing a fuller understanding of the technological changes in visible aids to navigation from the 1850s to the present and additional opportunities to interpret the history and significance of the Fire Island Light Station.
FILPS began in 2007 to raise money for the planning, design, and construction of the project, which was expected to cost approximately $500,000 for the building alone. As part of the fundraising effort FILPS was successful in obtaining a New York State grant to assist in construction of the new lens display building. Donated funds, labor and in-kind services will make up the rest. Groundbreaking began in July 2010, and by September 20, 2010, a topping-off celebration was held.
As the building was taking shape, so was the lens.
In 2009-10, FINS received $369,322 from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding for the conservation, reassembly and installation of the Fresnel lens. The NPS awarded a contract in 2010 to MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc., from Portland, Maine, for the lens restoration.
I have worked over on Fire Island in some of the nearby towns maintaining their walkways,moorings,setting navigation buoys and bulkheads for 20 years it was nice to work on the water not necessarily the people I worked for town politicians and kiss butt town foremans other than that the job was great.Tore the hell out of me but nothing like being on the water.
Very cool read surfstix. Can you imagine back when it was lit by whale oil, how much you would have to have on hand to keep it going? I bet tubs and tubs of it.
My Mom lived over there when she was little I really want to sit down with her and my aunt they were stranded in the ferry at the dock in the 38 hurricane it couldn't get out of the marina when I get details I'll fill in the blanks
Fire Island Lighthouse Long Island NY
Cranky Old Bassturd.
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Photo courtesy Gordon D. Canary, District Office Manager for New York State Senator Owen H. JohnsonParticipants in July 22, 2011 Fire Island Light Station Fresnel Lens Building ribbon-cutting include donor recognition ceremony speakers. From left: building contractor Kenneth J. Herman, Fire Island National Seashore Supt. Chris Soller, NY State Senator Owen Johnson, Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society President Thomas F. Roberts, III, and Stephanie Toothman, NPS Cultural Resources.
The "Return of the Original 1858 Fresnel Lens" to the Fire Island Lighthouse has finally been realized, after years of vision, planning, fundraising, compliance and construction.
Approved plan called for the construction of a new display building that resembled a generator building located on site from 1894-1940s.
