When you look out onto the Hudson River, you may see a majestic bridge, a picturesque town or a soaring skyline. But one thing that shouldn’t be missed is a historic lighthouse, a symbol of this iconic American river’s maritime past and a reminder of the dangers that once faced it and its waterborne commerce. Fortunately, seven of the lighthouses that punctuate this tidal river still stand today.
The most famous lighthouse is the Stony Point Lighthouse, a two-story building that was built in 1826 on the site of one of the Revolutionary War’s last battles. The keeper’s living quarters on the first floor have simple Victorian furniture and lace curtains, while the second-floor bedroom is now used for tours.
This lighthouse was needed when the Erie Canal opened in 1825, turning the Hudson into a bustling shipping route that connected New York City to the Great Lakes and powered America’s westward expansion. Once upon a time, 14 lighthouses dotted the river. But most have been rendered obsolete by modern navigational tools and only seven now shine their beacons.
Among those is the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, known as “Maid of the Meadows.” Built in 1873 to replace a previous lighthouse that was destroyed by winter ice, it’s the only wooden lighthouse on the river. The keeper’s living quarters were on the first floor and the tower was on the second, making it the only lighthouse with a double-story dwelling. The lighthouse’s unusually shaped granite caisson, designed to better withstand debris and ice floes on the riverbed, is its most distinctive feature.