A major $44 million coastal resiliency project to restore the Montauk Point Lighthouse and prevent the monument from falling into the Atlantic Ocean is now complete, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bolstered the shoreline of Long Island’s South Fork with thousands of tons of armor stone to prevent erosion. And a private contractor has been renovating the lighthouse tower to protect against extreme weather since 2021.
“Extreme storms can have a devastating impact on so many communities and resources, especially here at the coastal Montauk Lighthouse complex,” Hochul said in a statement. “New York State is proud to complete this project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to implement this critical shoreline resiliency project so that the beautifully renovated lighthouse buildings and grounds are protected and enjoyed for generations to come."
Standing at 110 feet, the outer walls are cracked and weathered from combatting the elements, and soaking salt water mist from the ocean waves. The Montauk Point Lighthouse stands at the eastern tip of Long Island, and it attracts about 100,000 tourists every year (a $6 billion industry to the region).
The lighthouse has been the pride of Long Island for centuries. These days it’s even featured on some versions of the New York state license plate.
“I would like this work to be our legacy that people will look back on and on the people who spearheaded this and fought for it, so that future generations can have this. Look at what a dynamic team they were,” historian Henry Osmer told WSHU’s J.D. Allen, as part of the podcast Higher Ground.
Lighthouse shaping Montauk
Osmer is a member of the Montauk Historical Society, which is responsible for maintaining the lighthouse, and preserving its rich history — a task that’s become more challenging as the ocean creeps closer.
“George Washington commissioned the lighthouse. He never was here, though,” Osmer said. “He was on Long Island during the revolution, so of course the connection is here.”
Construction wrapped up in 1796 — just a few years after Washington’s commission. The lighthouse’s birth certificate — as Henry calls it — was signed by Thomas Jefferson, who was Secretary of State at the time.
“That was for the purchase of 13 acres of land for the lightstation for the princely sum of $250, but in today's money it's probably a little less than $5,000. But as I say to people, if you could get 13 acres in Montauk for $5,000 you grab it right away,” he laughed.
Osmer said while it would take some time, that was the launching point for the bustling Montauk we know today.
“There was nothing out here in those days, except a couple of houses, and the lighthouse — it was a lonely desolate place, Montauk, for a long time.”
Montauk would become a significant junction for sailors as the furthest east they could travel.
They were either heading west, along the south shore to New York City, or north to Long Island Sound towards Connecticut. Lighthouse keepers used to climb the tower with oil lamps to guide ships to shore.
“It was on the map once the lighthouse was built. Because now shipping would have a much easier time of it. And the facts bear that out after the light went into operation, which was the following spring of 1797,” Osmer said. “The number of shipping mishaps around had dropped dramatically.”
Eventually a railroad was built as a speedy way to ship goods back and forth from New York City. But Osmer credits automobile and real estate mogul Carl Fisher for the next step in Montauk’s development.
“A lot of those Tudor style buildings you see in town that was part of his plan, the tall office building in town — that was his office building,” he said. “Being the shrewd businessman, he used the penthouse on the top as his real estate office.
So you could step out on the balcony and he could just wave his arm: ‘and so you too can live in this paradise.’ You know, that sort of thing.”
Fisher bought 10,000 acres to build the “Miami Beach of the North” — a paradise, but not for long.
The Wall Street crash of 1929 burned the businessman. Then, the 1938 hurricane walloped Long Island. Homes and downtown buildings were wiped out. It actually made Montauk into its own island for a short time.
By then, Fisher was sick, and he died the next year.
Coastal erosion
When the lighthouse was built, it was 400 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. Extreme weather and sea level rise worsened due to climate change, slowly encroaching on the Montauk Point Lighthouse.
Today, it’s just 100 feet away from the edge of the bluff.
“So the lighthouse was set in the right spot. It gave us the time over the course of history. But so the question would be with all this talk about climate and storms and everything, why are we staying put?
“What's the reason that we're hanging out on this hill with confidence?” said Greg Donahue, who has been managing the lighthouse property for over 30 years.
![The side of the lighthouse facing the shoreline [left] compared to land [right].](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a5236c1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1600+0+0/resize/840x672!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fwshu%2Ffiles%2F202105%2Ffacades_of_montauk_lighthouse.jpg)
In 2021, the Army Corps of Engineers began the reconstruction of the 1,000 feet of stone revetment, including removal and reuse of existing armor stones. The project was designed to protect the historic landmark property and bluff by stabilizing the site and protecting it from future coastal storms.
The $44 million price tag was cost shared between Army Corps, through the Fire Island to Montauk Point Project (FIMP), and the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The Montauk Historical Society will maintain the site for tourism attraction and as an educational center, Hochul said.
Additional private funds were secured by the historical society to help support the restoration of the 1796 lighthouse tower, 1860 keeper’s residence, and the Oceans Institute, a museum focusing on the health of the ocean.
Donahue credits another local hero for the stabilization of the bluff: Giorgina Reid — “the little old lady who saved the lighthouse.”
For over 15 years, Reid led a group of volunteers to stabilize the erosion of the bluffs beneath the lighthouse. They built terraces that scaled up the steep cliffs, and planted grasses to hold the sand in place, so it wouldn’t just get washed away — innovative for the time.
Giorgina was short in stature, but she had the heart of an elephant. Because she loved the lighthouse.Henry Osmer
“We have a wraparound point right here,” Donahue said. “We have a shot at keeping this building here for what I will say is many, many generations to come. And without that one individual showing up, we wouldn't even be talking about this.
“The lighthouse would have probably been boarded up by now. It wouldn't be owned by the historical society. It wouldn't be a place for a historic interpretation: It would be strike three, you're out,” he added.
Members of the historical society acknowledge that as climate change accelerates, bolstering the shoreline is a temporary fix.
Environmental groups have called for more long-term planning, including a coastal retreat to move downtown Montauk away from the shoreline. They point to geotextile sandbags that were installed in 2015 to protect the coast that have been eroding over the years. Suffolk County and the Town of East Hampton and Suffolk County have had to pay to rebury the bags every year.
For Donahue, his outlook is positive — just like Reid’s was.
“Eventually, I think Mother Nature will have the last say, No, no problem, including our project right here. But I think with the engineering we have, we can keep this thing, this baby here for another 100 years,” he said. “No problem.”
“In 100 years from now, who knows what kind of technology is going to be around then?” Osmer added. “It could be something none of us have ever even thought about. You just don't know, maybe there will be more effective. Maybe not — but it'll be something new.”
