Rock Island Light
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
This article is about the lighthouse in New York. For the lighthouse in Wisconsin,
see Pottawatomie Light.
Rock Island Light
Rock Island Light Station.jpg
Rock Island Light in 2015, after renovations
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Location Rock Island
Saint Lawrence River
New York, USA
Coordinates 44°16′50″N 76°1′1″WCoordinates: 44°16′50″N 76°1′1″W
Tower
Constructed 1848
Foundation Concrete and limestone
Construction Cast iron
Height 30 feet (9.1 m)
Shape Conical
Markings White w/ black lantern
Operator New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Heritage National Register of Historic Places listed place
Light
First lit 1882
Deactivated 1956
Focal height 50 feet (15 m)
Lens Sixth order Fresnel lens
Characteristic F W
Rock Island Light Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Architectural style Lighthouse
NRHP reference No. 78001855[1]
Added to NRHP November 14, 1978
Rock Island Light is a lighthouse on Rock Island[2] in the Saint Lawrence River in
Jefferson County, New York, United States.[3] The island is owned by the New York
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and operated as Rock
Island Lighthouse State Park.
The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in November
1978.[4]
Contents
1 History
1.1 A.E. Vickery shipwreck
2 Rock Island Lighthouse State Park
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
History
Sketch of the original Rock Island Lighthouse as it appeared in 1868.
Rock Island Light was first constructed in 1848 as one of three lights approved by
the United States Congress for aiding navigation in the Thousand Islands region of
the Saint Lawrence River. The other lights constructed at the same time were
Crossover Island Light and Sunken Rock Light, both located east of Rock Island.[5]
The original structure was a combination brick house and light, with the lantern
centered on the house's pitched roof. This structure was replaced in 1882 with a
separate iron tower that held the light aloft near the center of the island; the
current two-story Victorian house was built in 1884.[6]
Problems arose due to the new light being blocked by the two-story home and trees
on the island; it was during this time that the A.E. Vickery sank near the island
in 1889. The tower's platform was raised by five feet (1.5 m) in 1894 to help
increase visibility, and finally the tower and light was moved to a brick base
constructed off the north side of the island in 1903, where it remains today.[6]
Additional structures remaining on the island include a smokehouse (built c. 1847),
a carpenter's shop (1882), a generator house (1900), and a boathouse (1920).[7]
Among the keepers hired to maintain the light was William Johnston, a man once
known as "The Pirate of the Thousand Islands" for his actions as an American
sympathizer during the Patriot War. In May 1838, Johnston and a small force
overwhelmed the crew of the British mail steamer Sir Robert Peel; not having enough
men to man the steamer, he set it on fire and ran it against a small island in the
Saint Lawrence River, henceforth known as Peel Island. Johnston was declared an
outlaw by the U.S. government, and was captured and tried several times before
finally receiving a pardon.[8] After being pardoned, Johnston took up the role of
keeper at Rock Island Light, serving there from 1853 to 1861.[9]
Rock Island Light was last used as an official aid to navigation in 1958. The
island was put up for sale in 1968 before being transferred to the Thousand Islands
Bridge Authority in 1971. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and
Historic Preservation assumed control of the property in 1976, at which time it was
opened as Rock Island Lighthouse State Park.[9] It was listed on the National
Register of Historic Places two years later.[4]
In 2007, the New York State Council of Parks, Recreation and Historical
Preservation received a $900,000 grant from the US Department of Transportation as
part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users. The grant, matched by $200,000 in state money, was for
restoration and development of a method of presenting the lighthouse's historical
information and context to the public. The restoration planned for expanding the
dock, restoring the lighthouse and keeper's quarters, establishing a museum, and
providing water, sewer and electrical service to the island.[10]
A.E. Vickery shipwreck
The A.E. Vickery sank August 17, 1889 when it struck a shoal while entering the
American Narrows destined for Wisers Distillery at Prescott, Ontario, Canada.[11]
The boat now rests near Rock Island and is an underwater diving attraction in the
Thousand Islands.[12]
Rock Island Lighthouse State Park
Rock Island Lighthouse State Park
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Type State park
Location Rock Island,
Saint Lawrence River
Nearest city Clayton, New York
Area 4 acres (0.016 km2)
Created 1976
Operated by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitors 6,941 (in 2014)[13]
Website Rock Island Lighthouse State Park
Rock Island Lighthouse State Park is a four-acre (0.016 km2) state park that
encompasses the entirety of Rock Island and its former light station. It was
created after New York State acquired the property in 1976.[9]
Access to the island is possible only by private or chartered boat. The nearest
public launch site is located at Grass Point State Park, which is approximately
five minutes away by boat.[14] Public boat tours are also available from Clayton.
As of 2015, the park is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends from Memorial Day
until late June, and is open daily between late June and Labor Day. It is once
again open only on weekends from Labor Day until Columbus Day.[15]
The park allows for viewing the surrounding area from the top of the lighthouse,
and includes a museum maintained in the former keeper's quarters.[14] A fee is
charged to access the museum and lighthouse.[15]
See also
