The Light Still Shines

The Light Still Shines. . , Only ten years after Jeffrey’s Hook Light was assembled here, the George Washington Bridge was built overhead. Under the bridge’s bright lights, the lighthouse became obsolete for the second time. In 1947, the Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse and its light was extinguished., In 1951, the Coast Guard proposed to dismantle the lighthouse, but the public protested with an outpouring of letters to officials, largely because the lighthouse was a beloved character in the 1942 children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, written by Hildegarde H. Swift and illustrated by Lynd Ward. The campaign to save the lighthouse was successful and on July 23, 1951 it came under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. In the book, the Little Red Lighthouse feels dwarfed by the George Washington Bridge. He feels unneeded and unwanted until one particularly foggy night when the Bridge calls to him, “Little brother, where is your light?” The Lighthouse wonders, “Am I brother of yours bridge? Your light was so bright that I thought mine was needed no more.” The Bridge replied, “I flash to the ships of the air. But you are still master of the river. Quick, let your light shine. Each to his own place, little brother!”, Today everybody knows the Jeffrey’s Hook Light as The Little Red Lighthouse, and its light shines on. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a New York City Landmark. The Little Red Lighthouse is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City. For more information or to schedule a tour, visit historichousetrust.org/house/little-red-lighthouse.