Coxsackie Light was a lighthouse near the town of

Coxsackie, New York Coxsackie ( ) is a town in Greene County, New York, United States. The population in the 2020 census was 8,382, a decrease from the 2010 census. The name of the town is said to be derived from a Native American term, but it has various transl ...

, on the northerly end of the Low island northerly of Coxsackie island and on the westerly side of the main channel of the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

. The lighthouse was first established in 1830 and the last tower was first lit in 1868. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1940. The lighthouse was a red square tower with granite trimmings and a red dwelling on stone pier. The lantern housing was black. The light was 32 feet high fixed white light. The original lens was a sixth order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

. The Archives Center at the

Smithsonian National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

has a collection (#1055) of souvenir

postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. There are novelty exceptions, such as wood ...

s of lighthouses and has digitized 272 of these and made them available online. These include postcards of Coxsackie Light with links to customized nautical charts provided by

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

References

External links

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Coast Guard list of LighthousesCoast Guard list of assets

Smithsonian National Museum of American History page on Coxsackie
Lighthouses completed in 1830 Lighthouses completed in 1868 Lighthouses in New York (state) Hudson River 1830 establishments in New York (state) Transportation buildings and structures in Greene County, New York {{US-lighthouse-stub