.jpg) Blackwell island Light in 2017 | |
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| Location | Roosevelt Island,New York, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°46′22″N73°56′24.6″W / 40.77278°N 73.940167°W /40.77278; -73.940167 |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1872 |
| Foundation | stone |
| Construction | stone |
| Height | ca. 50 feet (15 m) |
| Shape | octagonal tower |
| Heritage | New York City Landmark, National Register of Historic Places listed place, New York State Register of Historic Places listed place  |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1872 |
| Deactivated | 1940 |
Lighthouse | |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | James Renwick Jr. |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000876[1] |
| NYSRHP No. | 06101.000500 |
| NYCL No. | 0911 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
| Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980 |
| Designated NYCL | March 23, 1976 |
Blackwell Island Lighthouse (nowRoosevelt Island Lighthouse, also formerlyWelfare Island Lighthouse) is a stone lighthouse built by thegovernment of New York City in 1872.[2][3][4][5] It is withinLighthouse Park at the northern tip ofRoosevelt Island in theEast River. It was named to theNational Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1972[1] and was designated aNew York City Landmark on March 23, 1976.[4]
Blackwell Island (known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973; nowRoosevelt Island) is located in the middle of theEast River, within the modern borough ofManhattan. The island was purchased by the city government in 1828. Various facilities on the island were built including a penitentiary, almshouse, city hospital, theNew York Lunatic Asylum, and theSmallpox Hospital.[6]
In 1872, the City of New York built a lighthouse. The supervising architect wasJames Renwick Jr., who also designed several other buildings on the island for the Charities and Correction Board as well as more famous works such asSt. Patrick's Cathedral.[3][4][5]
Legends abound about the construction of the lighthouse. Two names, John McCarthy and Thomas Maxey, are associated with the various legends. The 1870 report of the warden of the lunatic asylum indicated that an industrious patient had built a seawall near the Asylum that had reclaimed land. The legends indicate that an inmate of the asylum built a fort to defend the island against a British invasion that he feared. Some versions indicate that he had incorporatedCivil War cannons. The legend indicates that the builder was bribed with bogus money to demolish the fort for the construction of the lighthouse. Other stories indicate that an Asylum inmate constructed the lighthouse.[3][4][5] For many years, a saying was inscribed on a stone near the lighthouse:[2][3][4][5][7]
.jpg)
This is the work
Was done by
John McCarthy
Who built the Light
House from the bottom to the
Top All ye who do pass by may
Pray for his soul when he dies.
The lighthouse was operated by the City instead of theU.S. Lighthouse Board. In its 1893 annual report, the Lighthouse Board generally praised the operations of Blackwell Island Lighthouse, but indicated that the Board had been unfairly criticized because of the City's occasional failure to keep the light in operation. The Board advocated banning private lights.[8] The 1917U.S. Coast Pilot indicated that there was a private light at the north end of the island.[9]
The light was operated until about 1940.[3][7] In the 1970s, the lighthouse was partially restored. The restoration was completed in 1998.[3] A second restoration project commenced in 2021 which changed the design of the lantern and lamp bell on the roof as well as a working decorative lens. The project was completed in 2022 to coincide with the lighthouse's 150th anniversary.[10]
The lighthouse is approximately 50 feet (15 m) tall. It is constructed of graygneiss, roughashlar that was quarried on the island by inmates from the penitentiary. It has an octagonal base and an octagonal shaft. There is an entrance on the south side under a projecting gable and a pointed Gothic arch. Two south-facing slit windows in the shaft light the interior. At the top of the shaft there is a band of ornamentedcorbels below the gallery, which is surrounded by an iron railing. The lantern is octagonal with a shallow conical roof. An 1893 photograph[11] and a 1903 movie[12] show that it probably had a much taller, steeper conical cap when it was built. The optics were provided by the U.S. Lighthouse Board.[7]
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Media related toBlackwell Island Lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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