History
Montauk Lighthouse
Fact Sheet
- Authorized by President George Washington in 1792.
- First lighthouse in New York State.
- Fourth oldest, active lighthouse in the United States.
- Foundation is 13' deep and 9' thick.
- Constructed of sandstone blocks from Connecticut, 8" high and varying in length from 18" to 44".
- The walls are 6' thick at the base tapering to 3' thick at the top.
- The height of the tower is 110'6".
- There are 137 iron steps to the top of the tower.
- The light rotates every 5 seconds and can be seen at a distance of 19 nautical miles.
- The current light is equivalent to two million five hundred thousand candle power.
- Dsignated in 2012 as a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior and the National Parks Service.
For information about tours and special events, see http://www.montauklighthouse.com/ or call 516-668-2544.