Montauk Lighthouse Blog
by Mykaela Copeland
On the 3rd of October 2014, The coastal cultural experience class led by Tara Rider and Kurt Bretsch went to explore the rich history that is found at the Montauk Lighthouse.
The Montauk Lighthouse is located on the eastern tip of Long island, on 3.5 acres of property. George Washington commissioned the Montauk Lighthouse in 1796 to aid navigation on the seas around New York. It was built initially with the intention to provide aid particularly to French and British ships coming into New York as they provided manufactured goods that were critical to America’s foreign trade and domestic economies. This was the first lighthouse in all of New York and is currently the 4th oldest functioning (active) lighthouse in the United States. The lighthouse was originally built to be 80 ft. tall but it was later expanded to its current height of 110ft in 1860. The Montauk Lighthouse sits only a mere 168ft above sea level.
The beam found at the top of the lighthouse flashes a white light every 5 seconds and has a range of 17-19 nautical miles. The lighthouse beam and foghorn (found on the premises) have both been on an automated system since 1986. When the sensor on the ground detects a certain level of moisture in the air, the automated system triggers the lighthouse and foghorn to turn on. The United States Coast Guard is responsible for the maintenance and inspection of the lighthouse to ensure that it is working efficiently and properly. Today, the Montauk Lighthouse remains a critical national landmark and serves as an important symbol of Long Island and its rich history.
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| The image captured above is of the congressional document that led to the construction of the Montauk Lighthouse in 1796. Both the president of the United States, George Washington, and the Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, whose signature is present on the document above, approved it. |
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| This is the original document that granted the government permission to purchase land for $250 upon which the Montauk Lighthouse would be built. This document was approved and signed by George Washington on January 4, 1796. |
Just outside of the Montauk Lighthouse, there is a memorial monument in tribute to men who have been lost at sea. The inscription on the stone specifically reads “in remembrance of those lost at sea while fishing these water”.
The names and ages of the fallen men were also etched on the stone just below the inscription. The half boat illustrated in the monument is believed to be representative of loss, of what was not brought back on the different voyages. The boat is only half of its former self, incomplete, and could possibly be a symbol for the incompleteness of the crews and families that have lost a loved one. Fishing has been a critical industry for Montauk since its founding. The success of this industry would not have been made possible without the hard work and sacrifice of fisherman, including ones that were lost at sea.
Georgina Reid Fights Erosion at Montauk Lighthouse
by Jeanne Chang
The Montauk Point Lighthouse has been the symbol of Long Island since the 1940s. Historically, the lighthouse was built to help seamen navigate the waters on the eastern tip of Long Island, originally commissioned by George Washington in 1796. Today, it continues to safely guided seamen into the night with its light and foghorn for years and today is a popular site for visitors to learn about its rich history and its beautiful aesthetics.
However, while the lighthouse was originally built a safe 297 feet away from the shoreline, today the distance from the lighthouse to the cliff side has significantly shortened to 85 feet due to erosion. In 1968, the U.S. Coast Guard recommended that the lighthouse be completely torn down.
Erosion is the process of wearing away the earth typically by water, wind, or ice. In this case, the rushing waves from the ocean tides have worn away the cliff side and cut into the beach.
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Figure 1: The cliff was originally built 297 feet away from the cliff, but the land has since eroded away and now the lighthouse stands a short 85 feet from the coast.
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Figure 2: Specific causes of erosion include natural processes such as wind, water, ice breaking apart the earth over time. Using terraces along the bluffs helps to stabilize soil and prevent further erosion.
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Georgina Reid (1908- 2001) pioneered a project in the 1960s
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Figure 3: Georgina Reid stands above her
materials to build the terraces along the
bluffs to curb erosion.
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at Montauk Lighthouse to control erosion and effectively save the lighthouse from being torn down. She created and patented a technique called “Reed-Trench Terracing” which essentially would stabilize the side of the cliff on the east and north sides of the lighthouse. She convinced the U.S. Coast Guard to use her technique in the 1970s, and worked tirelessly for 20 years. The processes consisted of bringing large rocks into the area to stabilize it and, secondarily, create a walking path for visitors along the beach. However, despite all of these efforts the land will continue to erode over the next 60-70 years at which point the terraces will need to be reevaluated and eventually redone.
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Figure 4: Present day cliff side of the Montauk Lighthouse. The rocks are used primarily to hinder erosion, but also as an aesthetic walking path for visitors to explore.
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Montauk Lighthouse Blog
by Meaghan Coyne
This week in Coastal Cultural Experiences we explored Montauk. The Montauk Lighthouse, as we learned has, a long and interesting history. The lighthouse has been in operation since 1797. During World War II, it was taken over by the Army and the Coast Guard as part of the East Coast Defense Shield. During this time, the lighthouse served as one of many lookouts from Maine to Florida. Though no battles winded up being fought here, the military utilized these posts as lookouts for enemy submarines. Following the war, the Army left but the Coast Guard remained until 1986, when the light became automated.
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| Our entire class after walking around the rocks outside the Lighthouse. Photo credit to Kurt Bretsch. |
In addition to its many historical stories, the Montauk Lighthouse also has a ghost story to tell! This story, of a ghost named Abagail who haunts the Lighthouse, is a bit more subjective. We heard two versions of the same story so I will tell them both here.
The first version is the one that the museum has on display in one of its exhibits. By this account, Abagail was the wife of a Captain whose ship crashed off the shore of Montauk. She was the only one on board who survived and managed to swim to land where she climbed up the hill. However, she only had enough life in her to go as far as the Lighthouse, where she then died. She still roams the lighthouse today, looking out at the sea for her husband’s ship.
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| The photo above shows the museum’s depiction of Jacob Hand. Hand was the Lighthouse’s first caretaker, first lighting the lamps in 1797. He is also the father of Abagail, the lighthouse’s ghost, according to some accounts. |
The second version was told to us by a historian at the museum. According to her, Abagail was not the wife of a ship captain but was the daughter of the first car taker of the Lighthouse, Jacob Hand. Abagail and her family lived in the Lighthouse while it was still in the process of being constructed. Thus, there was a lot of brick workers around and Abagail fell in love with one of them. Her father however did not approve of this man and would often fight with Abagail about the matter. One day, they got in a fight that was so loud and intense that Abagail decided to leave for a few days to let things calm down. When she came back her father told her that the man she was in love with had left and she would not see him again. This however, was not true. Her father had actually killed the man while Abagail was away and buried him behind the brick walls somewhere in the lighthouse. Abagail could never find him while she was alive so today her spirit returns every night to search for him.
Montauk Blog entry
by Libby Howlett
Though seemingly a simple lighthouse, Montauk light holds a dense history with connections in all aspects of American life and history. One of our most famous presidents, known for his huge, mustache-clad grin, shared name with the notorious “teddy” bear, and of course—his colorful and prestigious life, our very own Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt had ties with Montauk lighthouse. One of the lesser talked-about skirmishes, the Spanish American war was short-lived, but didn’t come without its toll. Now what does a war, taking place in Cuba and the Philippines, have to do with long Island and Teddy Roosevelt? Well, probably one of the most interesting groups Roosevelt was involved with in his life was the voluntary United States cavalry, the Rough Riders (or basically, our own official U.S. cowboys). As successful as they fought, they ran into one problem: Yellow fever. Here is where Montauk came in, as a makeshift quarantine center. After all, it is often referred to as “Montauk, the end of the world.” While not one of the more epic events in his life, it’s still interesting to learn such a highly regarded man in US history had a past in the seemingly sleepy and secluded town of Montauk.
Not too far From Montauk light sits—or walks, an interesting feature of the land. The “walking dunes” are an intriguing characteristic to the already mythical and mysterious land on Long Island’s east end. Standing atop the dunes, they are seemingly stationary but the truth is they slowly swallow up the forest; pressed along by the wind forming the shape of an amphitheater. The winds move the 80-foot high dunes about 3.5 feet each year, so it’s only a matter of time before they move through the entire forest. They are especially extraordinary as dusk approaches and the softer light warms up the greens, yellows and browns of the landscape.
