Town to seek funds to fix historic lighthouse

Anthony Oreilly

Two years after federal officials threatened to take ownership of the Stepping Stones Lighthouse from the Town of North Hempstead, town officials on Thursday announced that it will work with the Great Neck Parks District and the Great Neck Historical Society to seek funding for the repair of the historic structure.

“We’ve taken a small but significant step towards restoring our Stepping Stones Light House,” Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth said. “We are so pleased to be working alongside the Great Neck Park District and the Great Neck Historical Society as we search for a variety of ways to raise the money we will need to restore this historical structure.”

The town announced it will be seeking grants and private donations to raise about $4 million needed to update the structure of the lighthouse, which sits about 1,600 yards off the shore of Kings Point. 

Town officials said it is in the process of preparing an application to the U.S. National Parks Service National Maritime Heritage Grant program for $200,000. The application is due Sept. 23. 

“Restoring and preserving historical structures is never an inexpensive proposition,” Bosworth said. “But it is important that we do not lose a piece of our maritime history here in North Hempstead.”

The town acquired ownership of the lighthouse from the federal government 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 about five years ago outlining the $4 million needed to repair the lighthouse but has not taken any action until now. 

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.

Robert Lincoln, Great Neck park district commissioner and chair of the Lighthouse Restoration Committee of the Great Neck Historical Society, said he was “excited to see this project moving forward.” 

“This is the beginning stage, and much work lies ahead.  We already have significant interest and positive feedback from within our community as well as the surrounding area,” Lincoln added. “I am confident that this will be a successful endeavor.”

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