Located just north of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (aka the Tappan Zee, click here) on the Hudson River, the Tarrytown Lighthouse was constructed in 1882–83 and first illuminated on October 1, 1883. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Despite its name, it is actually in Sleepy Hollow, New York and is also known as the Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse, Kingsland Point Lighthouse and 1883 Lighthouse.
A result of requests from steamship companies for navigational assistance due to dangerous shoals in this part of the Hudson, it is a “sparkplug” lighthouse because of its compact 60-foot-tall conical cast-iron tower.
The arrival of the Tappan Zee Bridge and its own beams diminished the lighthouse’s role. Automated in the 1950s, its navigational light was taken out of service in 1961.
Once offshore, in 1959 General Motors acquired the underwater property between the lighthouse and the coast, filling it in to expand its nearby plant. It now sits 100 feet from land, connected by a footbridge you can walk out on to view the lighthouse’s exterior. Going inside requires advance registration for scheduled guided tours on select days.
For me, the Tarrytown Lighthouse was a bit elusive. First of all, there is the factor of the multiple names. Secondly, two years ago I attempted to visit the lighthouse, but GPS took me to a fenced construction site. This time, however, advance research provided the knowledge that the lighthouse is part of Kingsland Point Park. From there, it’s a 10-minute walk south along the River Walk to arrive at the footbridge. I have no idea why my own navigational system took me a mile down the road on the first try. I needed a lighthouse to locate this lighthouse.
The confusion and need for a repeat trip was worth it. This little sparkplug may no longer be operational, but arriving at the Tarrytown Lighthouse still gave me a really pleasant jolt.
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