Stony Point Lighthouse
Why it's listed
Rising from a mound about 150 feet above the Hudson River and roughly 600 feet from the water's edge, this whitewashed fieldstone lighthouse was completed in 1825. The tower is octagonal, with walls two feet thick, and measures about fourteen and a half feet across at its base, tapering slightly beneath the lantern deck. Inside are a cellar, two floors and a lantern room, reached by a stairway and a ladder. Only three openings pierce the walls: the entrance, a small window above it, and a ground-level window beside the door. Over the years a cellar entrance and two wooden bell towers came and went, and the upper window was moved to the east facade by 1879. A keeper's house once stood about 100 feet away. In 1925 a new light tower, fog bell and dwelling were built at the shoreline, and the old stone light was deactivated. It is considered the last surviving beacon tower of its kind in the Hudson Valley and is part of the Stony Point Battlefield Historic Site.
Significance in brief: It is described as the last of the beacon towers still standing in the Hudson Valley. It belongs to a group of lighthouses that reflect the evolution of Hudson River shipping, touching on maritime history, architecture and transportation. The nominated boundaries also include the site of the nineteenth-century keeper's dwelling.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79001626, listed May 29, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Stony Point Battlefield, Stony Point |
|---|---|
| County | Rockland County |
| Listed | May 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001626 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good to very good. The light was deactivated after a new light tower and keeper's dwelling were built at the water's edge in 1925. The tower has been part of Stony Point Battlefield Historic Site since 1946, and its present use is listed as none. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.24138, -73.97174 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79001626.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7619598
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.