Execution Rocks Lighthouse is a large Lighthouse in Long Island Sound, north of Sands Point. It stands 55 feet tall with flashing white light interval of 10 seconds. Granite is the construction medium with a white tower featuring a brown band around its midsection. There is a stone keeper's quarter however it is no longer inhabited.
The lighthouse got its name because in Colonial times before the American Revolutionary War, the British Executed people there by chaining them down to the rocks at low tide and allowing the rising high tide to drown them.
The project of the Execution Rocks Lighthouse got under way on March 3, 1847 when Congress appropriated $25,000 for the construction of a light house. Construction was completed in 1849 but it was not lit until the year 1850. It has survived a fire and a shipwreck and still remains today as a new and automated lighthouse no longer needing any attendants.
The island is off limits to the public, however, it can be seen from Long Island Lighthouse Society 's Spring Cold Coast cruise. Many people fish off of the island in boats getting a chance to see the lighthouse. It is a Restricted Area and you can be fined $600 for tresspass.
There is some debate about the proper name for this lighthouse. Some people call it "Execution Lighthouse", others call it "Execution Rocks Lighthouse". The USCG Light List shows it as "Execution Rocks Light" (list list number 21440).
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