National Register of Historic Places

Horton Point Lighthouse

Southold, Suffolk County, New York
Listed
October 20, 1994
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
94001237

About this property

Horton Point Light is a lighthouse on the north side of Eastern Long Island, New York in the hamlet of Southold. The lighthouse and the grounds surrounding it are under the supervision of the Town of Southold Park District. The current lighthouse was built and the tower was first lit in 1857. The site is on a bluff 60 feet (18 m) above Long Island Sound. The tower was automated in 1933 and is now operational. The light was deactivated from 1933 to 1990. The foundation is granite and the lighthouse is built out of granite and brick with stucco. A square tower is attached to a rectangular house. The tower is 58 feet (18 m) high with the focal plane of the light being 103 feet (31 m) above sea level. The tower is white with a black lantern and a copper dome. The light has a slow green flash every ten seconds. 1790: President George Washington commissioned the lighthouse. 1855: Land to build to lighthouse on was purchased by the US government for $550. 1857: Lighthouse was constructed and lit with William Sinclair serving as the first light keeper. 1933: Light was turned off in the tower and a skeleton tower was lit on shore. 1934: In January, Southold Park District purchased lighthouse buildings and grounds from the US Department of Commerce for $1.00. 1938: The last keeper stayed until the hurricane of 1938. 1990: Major restoration allowed for the repair of the tower both internally and externally. The light was reopened and relit. The skeleton tower (seen in photo to right) on the shoreline was removed. 1994: Property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places 2007: The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation and hosts a museum. Visitors are able to climb the tower. Media related to Horton Point lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons Southold Historical Society: Nautical Museum at Horton Point Lighthouse Archived 2008-07-25 at the Wayback Machine Horton Point Lighthouse; Art & Architecture Quarterly / East End

Location

Southold, Suffolk County, New York
41.08543, -72.44593

Categories

MARITIME HISTORYTRANSPORTATIONCOMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Prince, Henry W., Building
Civil War
1.7 mi
Landon, Samuel, House
Industrial
1.8 mi
Hallock, Joseph Nelson, House
Industrial
1.8 mi
Southold Historic District
Listed
1.9 mi
Town Doctors' House and Site
Industrial
2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Meigs Raid on Sag Harbor May 1777
1777Revolutionary War
9.7 mi
Raid on Sag Harbor (NY)
1777Revolutionary War
9.9 mi
Sag Harbor Raid
1777Revolutionary War
10 mi
Meigs Raid on Sag Harbor
1777Revolutionary War
10.1 mi
Attack on Meigs at Sag Harbor
1777Revolutionary War
10.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Horton Point Lighthouse listed on the National Register?

Horton Point Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 20, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Horton Point Lighthouse?

Horton Point Lighthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Horton Point Lighthouse?

The period of significance for Horton Point Lighthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Horton Point Lighthouse?

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