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Blackwell Island Lighthouse

New York

Blackwell Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse in New York, first lit in 1872. Its official name is Blackwell Island Light. The tower stands 49 feet tall. It was deactivated in 1940. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The nearest other lighthouse is North Brother Island Lighthouse, 3.0 mi away. The grounds are open to walk.

Blackwell Island Lighthouse in New York
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

Blackwell Island Lighthouse at a glance

Visiting

Grounds open

First lit

1872

Deactivated 1940

Tower height

49 ft

Official name

Blackwell Island Light

About Blackwell Island Lighthouse

Blackwell Island Lighthouse (now Roosevelt Island Lighthouse, also formerly Welfare Island Lighthouse) is a stone lighthouse built by the government of New York City in 1872. It is within Lighthouse Park at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island in the East River.

Blackwell Island Lighthouse sits at 40.7728, -73.9402 in New York. The closest other lighthouses are North Brother Island Lighthouse (3.0 mi), Little Red Lighthouse (5.3 mi) and Titanic Memorial (5.6 mi). New York has 80 lighthouses in all.

Visiting Blackwell Island Lighthouse

There are no regular tours inside Blackwell Island Lighthouse, but you can walk the grounds and see the tower up close.

Built of
Stone
Heritage status
National Register of Historic Places
Architect
James Renwick Jr.

Where Blackwell Island Lighthouse is

40.7728, -73.9402 · more lighthouses in New York

Places to stay near Blackwell Island Lighthouse

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Lighthouses near Blackwell Island Lighthouse

All lighthouses in New York →

Also close to Blackwell Island Lighthouse: Kings Point Lighthouse 9.6 mi · Robbins Reef Lighthouse 10 mi · Sands Point Lighthouse 13 mi · Execution Rocks Lighthouse 13 mi · Fort Wadsworth Lighthouse 13 mi · Fort Tompkins Lighthouse 13 mi · Coney Island Lighthouse 14 mi · New Dorp Lighthouse 16 mi

Questions about Blackwell Island Lighthouse

Where is Blackwell Island Lighthouse?

Blackwell Island Lighthouse is in New York, at 40.7728, -73.9402. The nearest other lighthouse is North Brother Island Lighthouse, 3.0 mi away.

Can you visit Blackwell Island Lighthouse?

Partly. There are no regular tours inside Blackwell Island Lighthouse, but you can walk the grounds and see it up close.

When was Blackwell Island Lighthouse built?

Blackwell Island Lighthouse was first lit in 1872. It was deactivated in 1940.

How tall is Blackwell Island Lighthouse?

The tower is 49 feet (15 m) tall.

What lighthouses are near Blackwell Island Lighthouse?

The closest are North Brother Island Lighthouse (3.0 mi), Little Red Lighthouse (5.3 mi) and Titanic Memorial (5.6 mi).

Sources: history and visiting details from the Wikipedia article on Blackwell Island Light (CC BY-SA 4.0); facts and location from Wikidata. Photo credits are listed under each photo and on the photo credits page.