West Bank Lighthouse

Year Built

1901

Cost

$50,000

Type

Frustum of a cone sparkplug

Height

55 feet

Location

West of Ambrose Channel lower New York Bay

Automated Year

1985

First Lit

1901

Lens Type

Fourth-order Fresnel lens (original), 12 inches (current)

Fog Signal

Horn: 2 blasts every 20 s

Year Deactivated

Active

Color

Brown on black base

Last Keeper - Date

Dewey E. Herron (at least 1969 – at least 1970)

Description

The lighthouse is not open to the public and privately owned.

Brief History

•  In July, 1900, the benchmark was established and the site was excavated to a depth varying from 8 to 10 feet below the bottom.
•  The first head keeper at West Bank was a lighthouse legend named Ed Burdge, who for a period of thirty-four years, stretching from 1886 to 1920.
•  Robert Lyons was stationed at West Bank Lighthouse in 1973 along with two other coastguardsmen. Every Tuesday night, the men would call Sandy Hook and give them a food list.
•  The lighthouse was designated by the United States Department of the Interior as surplus in 2007.
•  On June 30, 2010, West Bank Lighthouse was back on the auction block and sold for $195,000 to Sheridan Reilly..