Jeffrey's Hook Light
From lighthouses
New York City, New York
Built: 1921
Decommissioned: 1948
This light sits beneath the George Washington Bridge and is the southernmost lighthouse on the Hudson River and the only lighthouse on the island of Manhattan. The 40 foot tall conical, iron tower was originally constructed in 1880 on Sandy Hook, New Jersey. It was dismantled in 1917 and reconstructed in 1921 at its present location, replacing two 10-candlepower lanterns atop a red pole which had been erected in 1889. The George Washington Bridge was constructed over it and opened in 1931, making the lighthouse obsolete. Removal of "Little Red" was proposed in 1951, but an outpouring of public support, prompted by the children's book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by H. Swift and L. Ward, helped save it. Surrounded by Fort Washington Park, it is no longer active, but remains an important symbol of the area's heritage.
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Lighthouses: A Photographic Journey
- Conceived and Developed by David S. Carter
- Photographs by Donald W. Carter
- Text by Diana K. Carter, Donald W. Carter & David S. Carter
Copyright © 1995-2011 David S. Carter, Donald W. Carter, & Diana K. Carter. All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means, physical or electronic, in part or in full, without the express permission of the authors, is strictly prohibited.
This article was last modified on 5/30/2009.