Fire Island Light Station Fresnel Lens Building

This original lens was first installed in the Fire Island Lighthouse when it was built in 1858

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

West of the Fire Island Lighthouse, Fire Island, NY

Significance:

A marvel of science, the Fire Island Lighthouses original first order Fresnel lens.

Amenities

11 listed

Accessible Rooms, Accessible Sites, Benches/Seating, Elevator, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Maps Available, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Theater/Auditorium, Wheelchair Accessible

The original Fresnel lens of the Fire Island Light Station was put into service on November 1, 1858. This was the first light visible to many ships crossing the Atlantic on their way into New York Harbor. It served as a vital aid to navigation, as part of a national initiative to improve maritime safety in the mid-nineteenth century. This Fresnel lens was removed from the Fire Island Lighthouse in 1933, and was later displayed in the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia until 2000.

After many years of planning and fundraising, and a full year of construction, this impressive original artifact is finally on display "back home," in a newly constructed display building beside the Fire Island Lighthouse.

Visitors are welcome to view this marvel of science, alongside several informational displays in order to gain a glimpse into history at the Fire Island Lighthouse.