U.S. Lighthouse Service General Depot

U.S. Lighthouse Service General Depot. . , Ancestral Homeland , The National Lighthouse Museum and U>S>L>H>S> General depot historic site is located within Lenapehaking, the ancestral homeland of the Lenape people whose ancestors were the first to inhabit, care for, and live on this land. We recognize and honor the significance of this land and the Lenape communities, their Elders past and present, and future generations. We also wish to extend this respect to all indigenous peoples who are present here today. , The National Lighthouse Museum is dedicated to learning and acknowledging indigenous history and culture and is committed to deepening our relationships with the Lenape people moving forward. This is a living land acknowledgement, and we will continue to revise and strengthen it as we continue to learn as an institution in collaboration with community members., Before the Lighthouse Depot , Prior to 1863, the site had a robust history. In the 17th century, the parcel that is now the site of the Museum was part of Justice and Mrs. Duxbury’s 30 acre farm or “glebe,” deeded to Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church when the Duxburys died without heirs. During the French and Indian wars, troops camped here, taking down fences and trees for firewood and other uses. The British occupied the glebe during the Revolutionary War. One of the regimental surgeons was a Tory named Richard Bailey, whose wife died in 1777, leaving behind a three-year-old daughter., By the mid 1790s, Dr. Bailey had become Health Officer for New York City, dealing with the inadequate quarantine station at Bedloe Island (later the site for that one-time lighthouse, the Statue of Liberty). In 1799, at Dr. Bailey’s suggestion, the Quarantine Station or “lazaretto” was moved to Duxbury’s farmland on Staten Island. Elizabeth Seaton, Dr. Bailey’s married daughter, joined her father at the Hospital. Years later, Elizabeth Seaton converted to Catholicism, founded the American parochial school system – and became the only American-born saint of the Church., Five of the 30 acres of the farm were reserved for use by the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service which enforced customs and tariffs on maritime commerce – and apprehended smugglers. It also enforces quarantine laws. During the first half of the 19th century, Staten Islanders complained bitterly about the presence of the Quarantine Station. In September of 1858, a group of prominent Staten Islanders, concerned about the spread of disease and falling property values, removed all the patients and burned down the Quarantine Station.