Digest>Archives> Nov/Dec 2014

Assisted in Ruin by the “Stupid and Insensitive”

By Timothy Harrison

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Built in 1857 at the entrance to Lloyd Harbor, New York, the Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse was often referred to by many as the Lloyd’s Neck Lighthouse.

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This view of the Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse, shows ...

In 1912 when the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse was built within sight of the Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse, the Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse was discontinued. For a time the family of the last lighthouse keeper, Robert McGlone, continued to live in the structure, even after he was transferred to the nearby Huntington Harbor Lighthouse.

In 1924 the Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse was deeded to the state of New York, which, in 1928, turned it over to the Town of Huntington. Later, the Village of Lloyd Harbor claimed an interest in the lighthouse. During that time, caretakers lived in the lighthouse. However, according to a local newspaper account of the time, because there were so many state, town, and village fingers in the pie, the last caretaker, Miss Augusta Harington, who had taken good care of the lighthouse, got fed up and resigned.

Without any agreement for a replacement caretaker, the lighthouse soon fell into disrepair. In referring to both the local bureaucrats and vandals, a local newspaper reported, “The abandoned house was assisted in its ruin by the stupid and insensitive. They stoned the panes out of the light. They plastered the beautiful white washed walls with impertinent vulgarities.”

On November 12, 1947, a fire set in one of the old fire places, by what was believed to be hunters, got out of control and completely destroyed the house and severely damaged the tower. A few years later, the tower itself collapsed. The ruins of the old lighthouse can still be seen within site of the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse, which, thanks to the efforts of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, has been saved from the fate that fell upon the Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse.

This story appeared in the Nov/Dec 2014 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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