Race Rock Light (N.Y.)
Lighthouses--New York1st lit January 1, 1879; Automated in 1978; Gothic Revival architecture; Engineers: Francis Hopkinson Smith + Capt. Thomas Albertson Scott; Height above sea level 65 1/2. Located on the west end of Fishers Island and eastern entrance to Long Island Sound. Race Rock Light is a lighthouse on Race Rock Reef, southwest of Fishers Island, New York. The reef is a dangerous set of rocks off the coast of Fishers Island on Long Island Sound and was the site of many shipwrecks.
Race Rock Light was built between 1871 and 1878. Designed by Francis Hopkinson Smith (1838–1915), the lighthouse is an excellent example of 19th century engineering and design. The massive masonry foundations on the reef required seven years to complete. Once the foundations were secure, the stone structure, including the keeper's quarters and the tower, were built in only nine months. The lighthouse has a fourth-order Fresnel lens in a tower standing 67 feet (20 m) above the waterline. The Coast Guard automated the light in 1978.[2]