Orient Point Light Station
Also known as: Orient Point Light; The Coffee Pot
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Why it's listed
Orient Point Light Station is a cast iron lighthouse standing in about five feet of water off the northeast tip of Long Island, marking the end of Oyster Pond Reef beside Plum Gut. Completed in 1899, it follows the "spark plug" design, a cylindrical caisson foundation topped by a three-story conical tower, watch room and lantern, with an overall height of 75 feet. Its brick-lined interior holds a basement and three circular rooms. Originally painted brown, it earned the local nickname "the Coffee Pot" and now carries a black and white daymark. Resident keepers served until automation in 1958. A settling foundation and cracked caisson led the Coast Guard to plan demolition around 1970, but public objection prompted repairs in 1973 and retention of the structure. The lighthouse is significant as a well-preserved example of a standardized lighthouse type and for its role guiding vessels through a hazardous passage.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a surviving example of the standardized cast iron spark plug lighthouse design used in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. It marked Oyster Pond Reef at Plum Gut, a busy navigation choke point, and was built after years of local and congressional effort. Public objection in the 1970s saved it from demolition.
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 06001229, listed January 9, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE tip of Long Island, 1.1 mi. NE of Eastern Terminus of NY 25, Orient |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | January 9, 2007 |
| Reference number | 06001229 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Third Lighthouse District Engineer David Porter Heap supervised construction; cast iron parts fabricated in New York City |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Areas of significance | Maritime History, Transportation, Architecture, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and operated as an automated aid to navigation; accessible only by boat. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.16342, -72.22361 (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 06001229.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7102309
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.