Shinnecock: Only Yesterday

Montauk Point at the tip of Long Island, NY, was the first land sighted by vessels sailing to New York City from Europe, and an important turning point for vessels bound from New England to New York. Recognizing this the federal government constructed a lighthouse at Montauk Point in 1797. To further assist vessels navigate the length of Long Island, another lighthouse was constructed 75 miles west on Fire Island in 1826. However, this still left a dark hole between the two stations, and in 1854 the Lighthouse Board successfully petitioned Congress for $35,000 to construct a station at Shinnecock, almost midway between the Montauk Point and Fire Island stations. The station was completed in 1857, on the south shore of Long Island at Ponquogue Point next to Shinnecock Bay. These three major seacoast lights would ensure that the mariner always had at least one light in sight as he navigated along the south shore of Long Island, and at times two signals could be observed.