Kingston/Rondout 2 Lighthouse
Why it's listed
Rising from a concrete pier at the end of a dike wall where Rondout Creek flows into the Hudson River, this buff-colored brick lighthouse at Kingston was built in 1913 and went into operation in 1915. It has two stories, a cellar, a watch room and a lantern room, with a square tower on its east side lined with white glazed ceramic tile. Wood piles driven nearly thirty feet into the river support the pier. It replaced an 1867 granite lighthouse that proved unserviceable and later collapsed in the 1950s. The new building became necessary when the Army Corps of Engineers extended the north dike into the river. It was the largest and last lighthouse built on the upper Hudson. The junction was long busy with canal barges transferring cargo to sloops, steamboats and tugs. Built by L.H. Bannon of Kingston, it remains an automated working light maintained by the Coast Guard.
Significance in brief: It was the largest and the last lighthouse built on the upper Hudson, replacing an 1867 granite lighthouse that proved unserviceable. It was needed after the Army Corps of Engineers extended the north dike at Rondout Creek into the river. It marks a heavily traveled spot where Delaware and Hudson Canal barges transferred cargo to river vessels. It is part of a Hudson River lighthouses group nomination covering maritime history, architecture and transportation.
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 79001640, listed May 29, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Hudson River and Rondout Creek, Kingston |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | May 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001640 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder L.H. Bannon Plumbing & Heating and Contracting Co., Kingston, NY |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Very good condition and still in use as an automated, unmanned lighthouse operated by the Coast Guard, which makes minor repairs about twice a year. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.92719, -73.97166 (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 79001640.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1687043
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.