{"nrhp_refnum":"79001638","name":"Esopus Meadows Lighthouse","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Spans Hudson River","address_restricted":false,"city":"Esopus","county":"Ulster County","state":"NY","lat":41.87111433900003,"lon":-73.94532554599994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-05-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one and one-half story wood frame lighthouse built in 1871 on stone rip rap in the Hudson River off the western shore near Esopus, Ulster County, New York. It sits surrounded by water, separated from shore by tidal flats.","why_significant":"It is the only Hudson River lighthouse built with a wood frame and clapboard sheathing. It replaced an earlier 1838 lighthouse that was ruined by ice floes. Reachable only by water, it was a family station with a resident keeper until automation in 1965. It is part of a thematic group on Hudson River lighthouses tied to maritime history, architecture and transportation.","narrative":"Esopus Meadows Lighthouse rises from the Hudson River off the western shore, separated from land by tidal flats. Built in 1871, it is a one and one-half story wood frame building painted white with a red mansard roof, set on stone rip rap. A tower and lantern room pass through the roof, ringed by an octagonal deck, and the windows and doorways carry Second Empire detailing. It replaced a lighthouse begun in 1838 that ice floes had ruined within thirty years. It is the only lighthouse on the Hudson built with a wood frame and clapboard. Because it can be reached only by water and could not be manned from shore, it was a family station with a keeper always in residence. Coast Guard personnel gradually replaced the keepers after 1939, and the light was automated from shore in 1965. A new beacon and fog signal were later placed on a steel tower nearby. The interior has since deteriorated.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Second Empire detailing around windows and doorways, with a red mansard roof","criteria":[],"status_note":"Station closed in 1965 and automated; interior has deteriorated, with plaster falling from the walls. Condition rated fair. Present use listed as none.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:39.221594-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/79001638.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001638/4403b7bab3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001638/4403b7bab3-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"John S. Hirth","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esopus_Meadows_Lighthouse_2011.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John S. Hirth</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esopus_Meadows_Lighthouse_2011.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75315274","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esopus_Meadows_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5398653"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/ulster-county/esopus-meadows-lighthouse-79001638/"}