The Ninth Anniversary
of The Relighting of the Long Beach Bar (Bug) Light

Saturday, September 4 was the celebration of the ninth anniversary of the return of the lighthouse in Greenport. The East End Seaport, led by Merlon Wiggin, had arranged a celebration at the lighthouse for about 50 people.

The day started out at about 3:30. We boarded a boat at  Gull Pond Park in Greenport. The boat held 25 people, so two trips had to be made. At the light, we enjoyed food, wine, and soft drinks while learning more about the past of the light station and taking in the wonderful views afforded by the light's offshore location. Among those in attendance was Bob Palmer of Palmer Vineyards. Palmer donates some of the profits from their Lighthouse Series wines to lighthouse preservation. So far, the east End Seaport has received over $5000 from this North Fork wine company.

As you may know, it was Merle Wiggin who drove the effort to relight the Bug after being challenged, while on a fishing trip in 1989, to do so. Not only did Merle and the East End Seaport Foundation meet the challenge, they created one of the most photographic lighthouses on Long Island. Visitors to Long Island's North Fork cannot avoid seeing photographs, drawings and paintings of this success story located off of Orient Point's Long Beach.

The original light, built in 1870 and decommissioned in 1945, was burned by vandals July 4, 1963. For 27 years, all that remained at the site were the ruins of the concrete foundation, which had replaced the original screwpile foundation in 1926. The new light, built from original plans, took only sixty days to complete. It was built on shore and then taken in parts to the site by barge and assembled on site. On September 5, 1990, the light once again shined from the Long Beach Bar Light Station.

The new light was originally established as a private aid to navigation. A nearby buoy was considered by the government to be a sufficient federal aid for the area. But bad weather conditions eventually changed the government's mind and, in 1993, the light was once again established as a federal aid to navigation.

You may learn more about the restoration and view photographs of the process at the East End Seaport Museum, adjacent to the Greenport railroad station and the Shelter Island ferry. There you may also see the Fresnel lenses from the Little Gull Island and Plum Island lighthouses.

Well-deserved thanks belong to Merle Wiggin, those who have contributed money to this light, and the many volunteers of the East End Seaport. We should all hope that the Seaport's next project, the restoration of the Plum Island light, goes as well. Please support the Seaport in this next project. And enjoy the results of their first: The new Long Beach Bar (Bug) Light.

Below are images from the Ninth Anniversary celebration at the lighthouse. I'll have more when I get the film developed. If there are any good ones I'll add them or replace others with them.

The dock at the Bug is on the east side. Approaching in the after noon puts you on the shady side.

Merle and Pete were waiting for us at the light.

The spiral staircase which leads from the first floor up to the tower.

The second floor of the Bug.

Looking back at Long Beach from the watch deck.

The Bug's 250mm light.

Captain Dave Brennan and his Peconic Star II passed by, presumably returning from a fishing trip. This is the boat from which the Orient Point Birthday photographs were taken, and that the Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse Society will be using for the east end cruise of their four-day October Lighthouse Safari.

The second boat arrives...

...and the passengers board the light station. For many of them, it is the first time at this light.

The fog bell on the front walkway. On the front of the bell is written "USLHS 1926."

We depart the Bug as Merle and Pete pull up the boarding ramp.

Mike Seewald looks on mournfully as we head for shore. Mike and I had been the last ones down from the tower. We came down only after realizing that refusing to leave would be futile.

Naturally, no trip to the North Fork is complete without a stop at Horton Point.

Although it was too cloudy to see a sunset from the bluff, it's always nice to stop by.

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All text, code and images are Copyright © 1999 Robert G. Muller. Please don't violate copyright law by reproducing anything from this page without my written permission (An e-mail will do). Thanks for understanding and respecting my work. :-)