Montauk Point Lighthouse Never Gets Old! | Long Island, New York

The iconic top of the End. ### Early Light (1796–1858) The Montauk Point Lighthouse, commissioned by President George Washington in 1792 and completed in 1796, is New York’s first lighthouse. Its original light was a spider lamp with oil wicks, providing a dim beacon for mariners at Long Island’s eastern tip. Positioned 297 feet above sea level, it was visible for 19 nautical miles. ### Fresnel Lens Era (1858–1907) In 1858, a third-order Fresnel lens, a French optical innovation, was installed,