Little Gull Island Light is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

on Little Gull Island, a small island in

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

, located approximately northeast of Great Gull Island. Both islands are located in the Town of Southold, in

Suffolk County, New York Suffolk County () is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of New York. It is mainly located on the eastern end of Long Island, but also includes several smaller islands. According to the 2020 United States census, the county's populatio ...

, and lie roughly midway between Plum Island and Fishers Island. Little Gull Island is approximately southwest of Fishers Island and the channel of water between them is the main entrance to Long Island Sound, known as "The Race". The lighthouse, which was built in 1869 and automated in 1978, occupies much of the rocky island, which is only about in size.

History

The first lighthouse was a high tower established in 1806, which was replaced by the current conical tower and a second order Fresnel lens in 1869. The lighthouse was automated in 1978 and is still operational. The foundation is a granite pier and the construction material is granite. In 1813, the light was extinguished by a group of

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

in a raid led by Commodore Thomas Hardy during the War of 1812. On May 12, 1881, the ''Galatea'', bound from Providence, Rhode Island to New York, ran aground in the calm due to the dense fog. Two days later, the ship was able to get off the island without damage. The Lighthouse Board opened an investigation because it was suspected that the fog signal was not operational during that time. The naval officer in charge of the investigation, French Ensor Chadwick, spent time questioning witnesses and others who might have heard the signal, and tested the signal at various locations around Little Gull Island. He concluded that the fog signal was operational during the time as the signal was heard at Mystic, Connecticut and by a tug boat that was farther away than the ''Galatea'', and that the aberrations and eccentricities around Little Gull were even more significant than around

Beavertail Lighthouse Beavertail Lighthouse was built in 1856 and is the premier lighthouse in Rhode Island, marking the entrance to Narragansett Bay. The lighthouse lies on the southernmost point of Conanicut Island in the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island in Beaverta ...

where sound tests were run later in 1881. The United States Coast Guard has designated Little Gull Island Light as an Historic Light Stations in New York. In 2009 Little Gull Island Light was put up for sale under the

National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA; Public Law 106-355; 16 U.S.C. 470w-7) is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally owned lighthouses into private hands. It was created as an extension o ...

. Eight bids up to $381,000 were received. The sale for $381,000 broke the record for the highest bid received to that date under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Little Gull Island Light is shown on the NOAA Chart 12354NOAA Chart 12354
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In popular culture

The Archives Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History has a collection (#1055) of souvenir postcards of lighthouses and has digitized 272 of these and made them available online. These include postcards of Little Gull Island Light Smithsonian lighthouse postcards
with links to customized nautical charts provided by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

References

External links

National Park Service

{{authority control Islands of Suffolk County, New York Long Island Sound Southold, New York Tourist attractions in Suffolk County, New York Islands of New York (state) Lighthouses completed in 1806 Towers completed in 1806 Lighthouses completed in 1869 Lighthouses in Suffolk County, New York 1869 establishments in New York (state)