{"nrhp_refnum":"06000864","name":"Orchard Shoal Light Station, Old","other_names":["Old Orchard Shoal Light"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"In Lower New York Bay, 3.5 mi. S of New Dorp Beach","address_restricted":false,"city":"Staten Island","county":"Staten Island","state":"NY","lat":40.512325289000046,"lon":-74.09851367799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-09-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Maritime History","Transportation","Architecture","Engineering"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"An offshore lighthouse in Lower New York Bay, about 3.5 miles south of New Dorp Beach on Staten Island, built in 1893 on a cast iron caisson in 17 feet of water. It is a cast iron sparkplug-type tower owned by the U.S. Coast Guard.","why_significant":"The nomination cites the light station under Maritime History, Transportation, Architecture and Engineering. It marked the southeast end of Old Orchard Shoal, a hazard along the pre-twentieth century main shipping lane. Its caisson foundation and cast iron tower reflect the U.S. Lighthouse Board's design and construction methods.","narrative":"Old Orchard Shoal Light Station is an isolated offshore lighthouse in Lower New York Bay, about 3.5 miles south of New Dorp Beach on Staten Island. Completed and first lighted on 25 April 1893, it marks the southeast end of Old Orchard Shoal, a navigation hazard beside what was once the main shipping lane. A cylindrical cast iron caisson filled with concrete supports a 35-foot, three-story, conical cast iron tower topped by a watch room and octagonal lantern. Riprap and a breakwater shelter a small boat basin, and access is only by boat. The metal parts were made by the Variety Iron Works Company of Cleveland and assembled on site, with a diver helping to sink the caisson. The original fourth order Fresnel lens has been replaced by a modern acrylic optic, and the light was automated in 1951. It remains an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Its significance rests on maritime transportation, architecture and engineering between 1893 and 1955.","period_of_significance":"1893 to 1955","architect_builder":"U.S. Lighthouse Board","architectural_style":"No Style","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Operated by the U.S. Coast Guard as an automated aid to navigation (automated 1951); the interior is deteriorated, with wooden elements removed and guano present.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.555592-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/06000864.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000864/d4396d4fb0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000864/d4396d4fb0-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"US Coast Guard","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_orchard_far.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">US Coast Guard</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_orchard_far.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75321381","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Orchard_Shoal_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q983738"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/staten-island/orchard-shoal-light-station-old-06000864/"}