Neighbor News
The significance of New York’s historic Little Red LIghthouse
According to some visitors, the little red lighthouse needs renovations after the pandemic.
Washington Heights, New York -- At Fort Washington Park, many people walk by this 40-foot structure, which is one of the few remaining lighthouses still standing in New York City; when the coast guard almost auctioned off the Lighthouse in 1948, a book called The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward, saved it. Years later a few New Yorkers recount their memories and the significance of the Lighthouse to them.
“My first time was when I was four years old; yeah, I was a kid. That was my first time seeing the lighthouse.” Said Jesus Pena, a year-old maintenance worker at Children's Museums of Manhattan, when asked about his first time coming to see the lighthouse. Jesus has done barbecues on July Fourth in the area and has many fond memories of visiting and taking pictures of the lighthouse.
The Lighthouse has attracted people recently moved to the Washington Heights area, like Joe Thurber, 30, who works in advertising as a creative art director “. I first lived in the upper west side for, like, eight years. I started taking bike rides around here about four years ago. But I didn't make it up here until about that first time four years ago. So yep, the first time.
Find out what's happening in Washington Heights-Inwoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Owned partnered with New York’s Department of Parks and Recreation, the historic house trust preserves and advocates for 23 of New York's historical museums, including the little red lighthouse.
The lighthouse brings newcomers everyday Viet Ton, a 50-year-old life insurance agent visiting for the first time. He proposed more advertising through different formats, such as YouTube videos on the NYC Parks channel, to showcase more of the lighthouse's history. That way, it can attract more tourists and attention to this historical sight.
Find out what's happening in Washington Heights-Inwoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Light Red Lighthouse stands tall underneath the George Washington Bridge. According to NYCparks.org, it was renovated in 1986 with steel doors and again in 2000 with a fresh coat of red paint, electric lights, and interior lighting. Yet at least a few New Yorkers would like to witness it by going inside. The significant public support and historical interest match the Light House's significance. A few New Yorkers hope it stays that way while changing the times.
