Year first constructed 1877 Automated 1967 Height 14 m Range 14,816 m Added to NRHP 15 September 2005 | Year first lit 1877 Construction Red brick Opened 1877 Material Brick | |
 | ||
Location Long Island Sound, in Nassau County, New York. Marks outer end of reef Foundation Granite and concrete pier Address Long Island Sound, North Hempstead, NY, United States Architect United States Lighthouse Board Similar Long Island Sound, Execution Rocks Light, Coney Island Light, Throgs Neck Light, North Dumpling Light | ||
Save stepping stones lighthouse
Stepping Stones Light is a Victorian-style lighthouse in Long Island Sound, in Nassau County, New York. The lighthouse is square-shaped and made of red brick, standing one-and-a-half stories high. The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse is a virtual twin of this structure. The light is in current use, under the management of the United States Coast Guard. It is not open to the public.
The reef upon which it sits was given its name by Siwanoy (Minnefords) Native American legends. According to the legend, the tribe used warriors, medicine, and magic to chase the devil out of present-day Westchester County, New York onto City Island (formerly Greater Minneford Island), surrounding him at Belden Point. The devil then picked up huge boulders lying there and tossed them into Long Island Sound, using them as stepping stones to make his escape. The natives named the rocks, "The Devil's Stepping Stones".
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Stepping Stones Light Station on September 15, 2005, reference number 05001026. The light station has been declared surplus, and the application for transfer under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is under review. In 2008, the light station was transferred to the Town of North Hempstead. In 2014, the Town of North Hempstead entered into a partnership with the Great Neck Historical Society and the Great Neck Park District to raise funds to rehabilitate the Lighthouse. The National Park Service and New York State Senator Jack Martins provided $165,000 and $100,000 in grant funding, respectively, to support the restoration efforts.