A historic lighthouse in Brooklyn may become a New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the Coney Island Light, an iron-framed lighthouse built in 1890, for consideration as an individual landmark. One of the oldest structures in Coney Island, the lighthouse sits within the private community, Sea Gate. Since the neighborhood is closed off to non-residents, most New Yorkers have never been able to access the historic building, which is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and leased to the community’s homeowners association. It’s unclear whether a landmark designation would make it open to the public.
Modeled after the former Throg’s Neck Lighthouse, the Coney Island Light was constructed in 1890 to guide boats and barges as Coney Island’s growing popularity led to an increase in ferry traffic. Located on Gravesend Bay, the site also includes a two-story Queen Anne-style keeper’s house, clad in wood shingles, also up for designation.
“These rare, distinctive, and well-preserved structures remind us of the crucial role that the Coast Guard has played in maritime history and the importance of New York Harbor as a significant gateway to the nation,” Matthew Postal, a researcher for the LPC, said during Tuesday’s meeting.
In 1960, after a stint on Governors Island, Frank Schubert became the keeper of the Coney Island Light. He lived in the keeper’s cottage with his family for 43 years until he died in 2003. He was the last civilian lighthouse keeper in the country.
Today, the site remains owned by the Coast Guard and leased to the Sea Gate Association, which was founded in 1899 when Sea Gate was a summer retreat for wealthy families like the Morgans and Vanderbilts. Today, about 8,000 residents live in Sea Gate, according to the association.
The city has landmarked six lighthouses built from 1854 to 1912. There are three landmarked lighthouses on Staten Island and three in Manhattan, including the Statue of Liberty. According to the LPC, none of the existing landmarks have a freestanding keeper’s house like the one in Coney Island.
The Coney Island Light remains in operation and was fully automated in 1989. The tower now incorporates a radio beacon for the calibration of navigational signals.
The Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed landmark, followed by a vote on the designation.
“I’m delighted we’re taking the first step toward recognizing the Coney Island Lighthouse as a New York City landmark,” LPC Commissioner Lisa Kersavage said on Tuesday.
“The lighthouse and keeper’s house are among the oldest surviving structures on Coney Island and wonderful reminders of the vital role New York Harbor has played in our city’s history and development. It’s especially meaningful that the lighthouse continues to serve as an aid to navigation more than 135 years after it was built.”
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