On Tuesday, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission took the first formal step toward protecting one of Brooklyn’s oldest working navigational aids. Commissioners voted to calendar the Coney Island Light, an iron-framed lighthouse completed in 1890, for consideration as an individual landmark.
The tower stands on Gravesend Bay inside Sea Gate, the gated private community at the western tip of Coney Island, which means most New Yorkers have never had a chance to see it up close. The lighthouse is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and leased to the neighborhood’s homeowners association. It is not yet clear whether landmark designation would change public access to the site.
The lighthouse was modeled on the former Throg’s Neck Lighthouse and built to guide boats and barges as Coney Island’s rising popularity brought more ferry traffic to the area. The proposed designation also covers a two-story keeper’s house in the Queen Anne style, clad in wood shingles. According to the commission, none of the city’s existing landmarked lighthouses has a freestanding keeper’s house like this one.
The cottage carries its own chapter of history. In 1960, after a stint on Governors Island, Frank Schubert became keeper of the Coney Island Light and moved into the house with his family. He lived there for 43 years, until his death in 2003, and was the last civilian lighthouse keeper in the country.
“These rare, distinctive, and well-preserved structures remind us of the crucial role that the Coast Guard has played in maritime history and the importance of New York Harbor as a significant gateway to the nation,” Matthew Postal, a researcher for the commission, said at Tuesday’s meeting.
The site’s present-day arrangement dates to the Sea Gate Association, founded in 1899, when the enclave was a summer retreat for wealthy families such as the Morgans and Vanderbilts. The association says about 8,000 residents live there today.
The city has already landmarked six lighthouses built between 1854 and 1912: three on Staten Island and three in Manhattan, including the Statue of Liberty. The Coney Island Light would be a rare Brooklyn addition to that list.
The beacon is not a museum piece. It remains in operation, was fully automated in 1989, and its tower now incorporates a radio beacon used to calibrate navigational signals.
Commissioner Lisa Kersavage said she was pleased with Tuesday’s vote. “The lighthouse and keeper’s house are among the oldest surviving structures on Coney Island and wonderful reminders of the vital role New York Harbor has played in our city’s history and development,” she said. “It’s especially meaningful that the lighthouse continues to serve as an aid to navigation more than 135 years after it was built.”
Calendaring is only the opening move. The commission will next hold a public hearing on the proposal, followed by a vote on whether to designate the lighthouse and keeper’s house as landmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Coney Island Light built?
The Coney Island Light was completed in 1890 and stands on Gravesend Bay inside the gated Sea Gate community at the western tip of Coney Island.
Who owns the Coney Island Light?
The lighthouse is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and leased to Sea Gate’s homeowners association.
Is the Coney Island Light still operating?
Yes, the lighthouse remains in operation, was fully automated in 1989, and its tower incorporates a radio beacon used to calibrate navigational signals.
Who was Frank Schubert and why is he significant to the Coney Island Light?
Frank Schubert became keeper of the Coney Island Light in 1960, lived in the keeper’s house for 43 years until his death in 2003, and was the last civilian lighthouse keeper in the country.
What did the Landmarks Preservation Commission vote on for the Coney Island Light?
The commission voted to calendar the lighthouse and its keeper’s house for consideration as an individual landmark, though a public hearing and a final designation vote are still to come.
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