Fire Island Light Station
Why it's listed
Fire Island Light Station sits about five miles east of the western end of Fire Island, a barrier island south of Long Island. The complex includes a 140-foot brick lighthouse tower finished in 1858 and a granite-faced keeper's residence completed in 1859, both on a stone terrace built from material salvaged from the first lighthouse of 1826. The tower has a curved profile, a cast iron central column, and a spiral staircase. It was striped black and white and coated in concrete in 1912. It replaced the earlier light, which stood nearer the inlet before the island's westward drift left the site miles away. The new tower was 80 feet taller and more powerful than its predecessor. As New York grew into the leading transatlantic port, this became the first landfall for arriving ships and a guide past a dangerous offshore shoal. Keepers also acted as informal local leaders and innkeepers. The Coast Guard decommissioned the station in 1974.
Significance in brief: The 1858 tower replaced an 1826 light and was taller and more powerful than neighboring lights, serving as the first landfall for ships approaching New York harbor. The form describes it as the most important light station on the East Coast. It also notes the tower's curved profile and original Doric details, and the keepers' non-navigational roles on the island.
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 81000082, listed September 11, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Robert Moses Causeway, Bay Shore |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 11, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000082 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1858-59 |
| Architect / builder | J.T. Morton, construction supv. |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Engineering, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1974; condition marked fair, and the form's status boxes show it as both occupied and unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Fire Island Light Station Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 40.63214, -73.21853 (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 81000082.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5451374
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.