Princes Bay Lighthouse

©This lighthouse was constructed in 1864 on the southern shores of Staten Island for $30,000. The attached lightkeeper’s cottage was completed in 1868. Perched atop an 85-foot hill overlooking Raritan Bay, it was deactivated in 1922 after the placement of lighted buoys in the bay made it redundant.nnThe Mission of the Immaculate Virgin at Mt. Loretto purchased the lighthouse, the cottage and an additional outbuilding in 1926. The Mission already held a residence and school for seventeen-hundred orphans in the vicinity of the lighthouse. At some point, they placed a statue of the Virgin Mary where the lantern room once was.nnNew York State and the Trust for Public Land co-purchased the lighthouse and 145 acres of surrounding land as well as 45 underwater acres from the Archdiocese of New York in 1999. Today, the property is known as Mount Loretto Unique Area and is managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Though the lighthouse grounds are not open to the public, hiking trails in the surrounding area provide great views.

Although my pictures show a more beautiful place, Princess Bay Lighthouse was just a tower and I was disappointed. Tons of litter everywhere well. Not sure if it is from slovenly people who visit the beach here or slovenly people who throw their trash into the ocean and it washes up here? Unfortunately there was so much litter that it really did ruin the experience. Of course there was also some graffiti on the tower to help complete the experience. It amazes me what slobs people are for some reason I just don't understand it. I hope one day is a species we figure out that we should really not throw our trash everywhere.

Beautiful place...

Great beach to explore. Has a lot of unique stuff to see.

It is a wonderful setting