Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth announced Tuesday that the town was awarded a $165,000 National Park Service grant for the restoration of the Stepping Stones Lighthouse.
Bosworth was joined by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-Brooklyn) in January in urging the park service to provide federal funding so the town could make necessary repairs to the lighthouse.
“I’d like to thank Sen. Schumer for being such a powerful advocate for our Stepping Stones Lighthouse,” Bosworth said. “We are grateful that NPS is providing this grant funding, which will allow us to address some of the major structural projects that need to be done as soon as possible.
“We are fully committed to restoring this local piece of Maritime history and we can’t wait to get started,” she added
The lighthouse was built in 1877 and was updated in 1944.
Town officials said it remains a critical aid to navigation as it guards the approach to New York City’s East River, as well as warns ships and boats of rocks and shoals.
The town acquired ownership of the lighthouse, which sits about 1,600 yards off the shore of Kings Point, from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2008 as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, agreeing to submit yearly reports to the National Park Service on “any capital improvements to preserve and restore the structure within its historical accuracy.”
The town conducted an evaluation in 2009 outlining $4 million needed to repair the lighthouse.
The National Park Service in 2012 said ownership of the lighthouse might be transferred to a new owner, citing a lack of response by the town to repair the structure.
Town officials said problems with the building include the outward shifting of the base’s foundation blocks and a crack in the basement floor leading to open water.
Additionally, the brick and granite on the top of the northern side of the lighthouse are leaning outward and roof damage caused by deteriorating gutters have impacted the structure significantly.
In 2014, the town was rejected when it applied for the same park service grant.
“I’m pleased that the National Park Service has heeded our call by making the historic Stepping Stones Lighthouse a priority,” Schumer said. “Now that the Town of North Hempstead has been granted this federal funding, the Stepping Stones Lighthouse can finally be rehabilitated and remain a landmark structure on Long Island.”
Town officials said the town is responsible for matching the grant.
The money will be used to build a temporary floating dock, ramp, boneyard and construction staging area for future restoration projects to begin, town officials said.
Restoration efforts, town officials said, would take place in partnership with the town, the Great Neck Park District and the Great Neck Historical Society.
“We are pleased to see our collaborative effort coming to fruition,” said Great Neck Park District Commissioner Robert Lincoln, who is also chair of the Great Neck Historical Society’s Lighthouse Restoration Committee. “While there is much work ahead, we are gaining much traction which will benefit both present and future generations.”
