Hudson–Athens lighthouse

Hudson–Athens lighthouse

Hudson–Athens lighthouse
Location Hudson River, between Athens and Hudson
Coordinates 42°15′7″N 73°48′31″W / 42.25194°N 73.80861°W / 42.25194; -73.80861Coordinates: 42°15′7″N 73°48′31″W / 42.25194°N 73.80861°W / 42.25194; -73.80861
Year first constructed 1874
Year first lit 1874
Automated 1949
Foundation Granite caisson
Construction Dressed Stone and red brick
Tower shape Square, red brick, granite trim
Height 46 feet (14 m)
Original lens fifth order Fresnel, 1926; currently at Mystic Seaport Museum
Current lens currently 12-inch (300 mm) light
Range 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi)
Characteristic Green light occulting every 2.5 sec
Fog signal Fog bell mechanism at 15 sec intervals
Admiralty number J1140.75
ARLHS number USA-391 [1]
USCG number

1-38560 [2]

Hudson–Athens lighthouse

Hudson–Athens Lighthouse, September 2006
Architect Unknown
MPS Hudson River Lighthouses TR
NRHP Reference # 79003796
Added to NRHP May 29, 1979[3]

The Hudson–Athens lighthouse, sometimes called the Hudson City light, is a lighthouse located in the Hudson River in the state of New York in the United States. The light is located between Hudson and Athens, closer to the Hudson side. Constructed in 1874, it marks a sandy ridge known as Middle Ground Flats and also acts as a general aid to navigation of the river. The station is built on a granite caisson with a unique shape designed to protect it from ice floes and river debris. The dwelling is constructed in the Second Empire architectural style,[4] with a mansard roof. It is considered to be virtually a twin of the Stepping Stones Light in Long Island Sound, which was constructed just a few years later.

History

The station's beacon was originally lighted by Henry D. Best, the station's first lightkeeper, on November 14, 1874.[5] It was upgraded to a fifth-order Fresnel lens in 1926, and the station was fully automated on November 10, 1949.[6] In 1967, the Hudson River Valley Commission, led by Nelson A. Rockefeller, suggested that certain lighthouses owned by the United States Coast Guard be turned over to not-for-profit historical groups to ensure their preservation and upkeep. Hudson–Athens was the first station to be tried through such a program, and on February 15, 1984, a 20-year lease was signed between the Coast Guard and the Hudson–Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society (HALPS).[6] In 2000, title to the station was turned over permanently to HALPS.[5] Today, the Preservation Society conducts occasional tours of the station, which is being restored to its condition as it would have been in the 1930s.

The Lighthouse was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) as survey number NY-6286. There are 9 architectural drawings available in the survey.[7]

The Hudson–Athens lighthouse is shown on the NOAA Chart 12347.[8]

Chronology

Chronology from USCG web site

Cultural

The Archives Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History has a collection (#1055) of souvenir postcards of lighthouses and has digitized 272 of these and made them available online. These include postcards of Hudson–Athens Light[9] with links to customized nautical charts provided by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

References

  1. ↑ ARLHS World List of Lights
  2. ↑ Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard.
  3. ↑ National Park Service (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  4. ↑ Sheila Buff (2008). Insiders' Guide to the Hudson River Valley. Globe Pequot. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-7627-4438-1.
  5. 1 2 Hudson (Hudson–Athens) Lighthouse, New York at Lighthousefriends.com
  6. 1 2 "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: New York". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.
  7. ↑ "Hudson-Athens Lighthouse (drawings)". Historic American Buildings Survey. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ NOAA Chart 12347
  9. ↑ Smithsonian lighthouse postcards
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