Fire Island Lighthouse

Year Built

1826

Cost

$40,000

Type

Conical tower

Height

168 feet

Location

Fire Island inlet, Long Island

Automated Year

1986

First Lit

1858

Lens Type

First order Fresnel 1856 (original), Carlisle & Finch Company (current)

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

Active, inactive 1974–1986

Color

Four black and white bands

Last Keeper - Date

H.W. Lacroix (1963)

Description

The lighthouse is open to the public.

Brief History

•  Captain Ezra S. Mott had the longest tenure as head keeper of Fire Island Lighthouse, arriving in 1888 and retiring twenty-one years later in 1909 due to ill health.
•  It wasn’t until 1891 that the lighthouse received is present distinctive black and white stripes.
•  Over the years, the lighthouse’s exterior was becoming damaged by water seepage, and in 1912 a large crack was discovered in the structure.
•  The Fire Island Light Station was deactivated in 1974 and the beacon was moved to the top of a nearby water tower.
•  On May 28,1986 it was reactivated as an active aid to navigation.