Old Orchard Shoal Light

Old Orchard Shoal Light is a cast iron lighthouse in Lower New York Bay standing 51 feet tall with a distinctive conical shape. The structure features a brown lower section and white upper segment mounted on a black pier, designed to guide maritime traffic.

Congress funded construction of this navigation aid in 1891, and it began operations in 1893 to serve maritime traffic in New York Bay. The lighthouse operated for more than a century before Hurricane Sandy destroyed it in 2012, leaving only the foundation.

The first keeper Alfred Carlow experienced severe effects of isolation, leading to changes in lighthouse keeper rotation schedules in the New York Bay area.

The lighthouse operated with a fourth-order Fresnel lens producing white flashes every six seconds, visible from about 7 nautical miles (13 kilometers) at sea. Today, only the foundation remains visible from the water, making the site primarily accessible by boat from nearby waterfront areas.

The first keeper experienced severe isolation effects at this remote post, which led to changes in lighthouse keeper rotation schedules throughout New York Bay. His struggles with solitude prompted authorities to rethink how keepers would work and rest at other maritime stations.

Location: New York City

Inception: 1893

Height: 11 m

GPS coordinates: 40.51231,-74.09868

Latest update: December 22, 2025 07:01