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Old Field Point Light Station, located at 207 Old Field Road in Setauket, joins a total of 36 other properties across New York nominated by the governor on Friday, Dec. 29.
Built around 1824, the station was originally comprised of a light tower with a keeper’s dwelling. It was fully paid for by the US Congress – costing $2,500 at the time – making it the first representation of federally-funded maritime safety measures.
The light at Old Field Point was originally lit by whale oil lamps, but it was later switched to kerosene. In 1868, the original tower was knocked down and the new structure, which is still used today, was built.
The lighthouse was in use until the 1930s, when it was given back to the village of Old Field; the US Coast Guard briefly manned it again during World War II through the end of 1945.
Though now unmanned and using electricity, the lighthouse still provides a guide for boaters in the Long Island Sound.
“These nominations reflect generations of community building, planning, and activities that give us a glimpse into our collective past as New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said when announcing the nominations, which include a new historic district in Harlem, an industrial manufacturing complex in Poughkeepsie, and more.
“Identifying these resources and adding them to our historic registers expands our ongoing understanding of our shared history and are important reminders of the innovation, passion, and lived experiences of New Yorkers who came before us.”
New York State has more than 120,000 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, either from individual properties or historic districts.
Once approved to join the state's register by Commissioner Erik Kulleseid of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, the nominations are entered into the National Register, where the National Parks Service reviews and approves.
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