Sandy Hook Lighthouse in 1968
Photograph Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard
The first landmark discernible by sailors approaching New York Harbor is the Navesink Highlands. Extending from the base of the headlands is a low-lying spit known as Sandy Hook, which stretches over four miles into the Atlantic and poses a serious navigational hazard for vessels seeking safe harbor. Records show that a lighthouse at the tip of Sandy Hook had been suggested as early as 1679, but it wasn’t until several shipwrecks occurred in the first three months of 1761 that decisive action was taken. Originally called New York Lighthouse, the tower on Sandy Hook was built of rubblestone under the guidance of Isaac Conro, a mason and builder from New York City. The beacon was first lighted on June 11, 1764. The lighthouse’s primary purpose was to guide vessels into New York Harbor. A fixed, third-order, L. Sautter & Cie. Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse in 1856 and remains in use to this day. It is still active; focal plane 88' (27 m); continuous white light, day and night. In 1857, the lighthouse underwent a major refurbishing. A red brick lining was installed to reinforce the rubblestone walls, and a spiral iron staircase replaced the worn, wooden one. The keepers received the present dwelling in 1883, when the old dilapidated dwelling was razed and a new substantial double frame dwelling with ample accommodations for the principal and assistant keepers was constructed.
