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Huntington Harbor Lighthouse

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Huntington ligthhouse. Photo from Pam Setchell

It is still early in 2025, but the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society (HLPS) is already working on its list of projects and events for the coming season, including a refocus on renovation projects, additional lighthouse tours, and the end of its annual Musicfest, according to a press release on Feb. 19.

“After 15 successful years, we will not be hosting the Lighthouse Musicfest in 2025,” said Pam Setchell, HLPS President. “This decision was not made lightly, and we want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported and participated over the years. We deeply appreciate the enthusiasm shown for this event, and also want to thank the Town of Huntington for its support of this event.”

“Musicfest is a massive and monthslong  undertaking for a very small group of volunteers who set aside business and personal activities for extended periods of time to make it happen,” continued Setchell. “With limited resources at our disposal, we have decided  to refocus this year on important construction and renovation projects to ensure the continuation of the Huntington Light for another 113 plus years. In addition, we are working to meet the increasing demand for visitor tours and grow and train our volunteer staff to align with the needs of the lighthouse.”

Renovation focus

The ongoing restoration of a historical structure is never easy, and the unique location of the Huntington Light–it’s literally surrounded by water and has no means of access by land–amplifies the challenges.  Since the inception of the Save Huntington’s Lighthouse group in 1985, and then the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, the preservation and restoration of the lighthouse has remained a top priority.

Through a combination of public and private grants, private donations, seasonal tours, special events, and merchandise sales, HLPS has raised approximately $3.5 million in its 40-year history for improvements and restoration projects. 

In 2025, new, custom-fabricated windows will replace the original windows, made possible by a generous grant from the Gardiner Foundation and a matching private donation. Additional projects include roof repairs and protective matting,  wrought iron railings, repairing cracks in the building’s exterior masonry, and painting and repairing the cupola. A new custom watch deck door is also going to be installed. Each project requires careful planning to ensure that the building’s history and design are maintained. Everything that’s needed, including supplies, tools, and crew must be transported by water and can only be accomplished during a limited season.

Additionally, HLPS is reevaluating its fundraising raising efforts, strengthening its volunteer program, and overhauling  the current HLPS website to provide additional functionality.

Lighthouse Tours 

Offering access and sharing the story of the lighthouse are core to the HLPS’s mission. Last summer saw an increase in public tour participation, and HLPS anticipates another year that may be even busier. The team is working to add more tour dates, including dinner tours, to the schedule; 2025 dates will be announced soon! 

HLPS also makes the lighthouse available for group tours by school groups and others wanting to learn more about maritime history, and visit a working lighthouse. 

“We are incredibly proud of the community we’ve built together and the positive impact our collective efforts have had for the lighthouse,” said Setchell. “We are looking forward to seeing the luster restored to this treasured structure and believe you will, too. We stay committed to preserving the lighthouse for future generations as a welcoming beacon to the entrance of Huntington and Lloyd Harbors.”

Follow the Huntington Lighthouse on Facebook,  and Instagram. 

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About the Huntington Lighthouse:

The Huntington Harbor Lighthouse was built in 1912 and proudly stands guard at the entrance to Huntington and Lloyd Harbors. It rises 42 feet above the water, marking dangerous rocks and helping to navigate boat traffic. It is unique in both design and construction and the first concrete lighthouse structure on the east coast. The Venetian Renaissance (Beaux Art) style of the lighthouse gives it the appearance of a small castle. The lighthouse was added to the National Register for Historic Buildings in 1989 and was placed on Notice of Availability by the National Parks Service on July 2, 2010. The HLPS was granted ownership of the Lighthouse in 2012.

About HLPS: 

The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc. is a volunteer non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c) (3) organization. Its mission is to restore, preserve and provide public access to the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse (formerly Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse); to achieve the safe keeping of the building, artifacts, and records; to enhance public awareness and education on lighthouse history; to make the HHL a premier tourist attraction on Long Island; and to serve as a prototype of a restored offshore lighthouse. 

For additional information, visit:  https://www.huntingtonlighthouse.org/

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More than $1 million in foundation renovations have been completed despite challenges

Huntington ligthhouse. Photo from Pam Setchell

The jewel of Huntington Harbor will be opening its doors to welcome visitors for the first time in more than two years.

The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the structure, will offer its first tour of the lighthouse July 15 after completing $1.1 million in repairs. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for July 11 to celebrate the structure’s reopening.

“It’s been a very long two years,” said Pamela Setchell, president of the preservation society. “We keep walking around pinching ourselves that we did it. We did it. We’re thrilled out of our minds.”

“We keep walking around pinching ourselves that we did it. We did it.”

– Pamela Setchell

Tours of the lighthouse will be offered by volunteers on a first-come, first-serve basis from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. once a month. Guests must be wearing flat, rubber-soled shoes to board the boat, according to Setchell.

The nonprofit organization last offered a tour of the historic landmark in September 2015 before the building was closed for phase one of restoration efforts to its exterior foundation. The lighthouse was in danger of becoming unstable and crumbling into the water.

Frank Scobbo, vice president of Port Washington-based Scobbo Foundation Systems, was hired as the contractor to shore up the 100-year-old structure.

“It was a labor of love, commitment and dedication to get the jewel of the harbor repaired,” Scobbo said.

He and his approximately 10-person staff took on the daunting task of replacing the damaged rebar, or steel reinforcement, in the lighthouse’s foundation, patching sheetrock and concrete in the underwater structure.

“The sheer location was one of the primary issues,” Scobbo said.

Working on a building located a mile offshore, the contractor said extensive pre-planning was necessary to account for the tides, currents and changing weather conditions each day. In 2016, a sudden squall sent waves crashing over the deck of a barge full of stone for the lighthouse’s base, causing it to take on water, according Scobbo. It required a rapid response of two Huntington Bay constables, Stephen Taylor and Timothy Lutz, and Scobbo’s crew to prevent the boat from sinking.

“It was a labor of love, commitment and dedication to get the jewel of the harbor repaired.”

– Frank Scobbo

“It was very scary, it probably took a couple of years off my life,” Scobbo said.

All supplies and equipment needed to be transported out via boat and a single forgotten item could have meant a 45-minute trip back to shore, according to the contractor. Scobbo said these challenges made the lighthouse’s restoration one of the most difficult projects he’s ever worked on, having previously repaired Stepping Stones Light in Nassau County and restored a 200-year-old Times Square building.

The Huntington Harbor Lighthouse still requires some additional work, according to the contractor, including the placement of more boulders on the east side of the structure and window replacements.

“They have a lot of work to do, but now the most important part is done,” Scobbo said.

The cost of the project was paid for through approximately $740,000 fundraised by the preservation society that was used to secure a matching $250,000 state grant, and a $145,000 grant received from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation in September 2017.

Those interested in taking a tour of Huntington Harbor Lighthouse can find a full list of tour dates on the preservation society’s website at www.huntingtonlighthouse.org/tours.php. Tickets cost $20 per adult, $15 for seniors and $10 for children age 5 or older, with family discounts available. Children younger than age 5 are not permitted due to safety issues and insurance concerns.

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