Preservationists say lighthouse needs new steward after North Hempstead fails to restore bleak beacon

Local preservationists say North Hempstead officials have failed in their duty to restore the Stepping Stones Lighthouse and want town leaders to give up stewardship of the nearly 150-year-old structure.

“You reach a point where enough is enough and we have to find another way to do this,” said Robert Lincoln, who chairs a Great Neck Historical Society committee that's overseeing the restoration in partnership with the town.

In 2008 the town took over stewardship as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, assuming management and oversight of the Long Island Sound structure.

But Lincoln said nothing noteworthy has been accomplished in 15 years under three town administrations and recently the situation has become “toxic," with the lighthouse becoming a point of contention between political opponents on the town board.

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena agreed that it's time to explore options like transferring control of the lighthouse to a private organization or to the Great Neck Park District.

“This was never supposed to be taxpayer-funded project and from the start it seems like it was an ill-conceived project that didn’t have a funding plan,” she added.

DeSena also acknowledged that returning the lighthouse to the federal government is a possibility but said the town will have to consult with stakeholders before moving forward.

The lighthouse is about a mile north of Kings Point and was built in 1876 to warn mariners of a shoal and rocks, according to the Great Neck Historical Society. Among problems, the structure is missing bricks and has a broken door, torn fence, widening gaps in the stone foundation and a buildup of rust and vegetation.

This isn’t the first time the town has come under fire for its handling of the lighthouse.

In 2012, the U.S. General Services Administration threatened to take away stewardship after finding the town neglected to maintain the structure and didn't make it available to the public as the preservation act requires.

The town, under a private/public partnership, then teamed with the Great Neck Historical Society and the Great Neck Park District — a special district within the town — on the restoration.

The town won about $400,000 in grants to restore the structure, but also recently lost a one-time $165,000 National Maritime Heritage grant after not getting permits from the Army Corps of Engineers so work could start. 

Lincoln said the committee raised $125,000 through fundraising efforts that included selling T-shirts, giving boating tours and holding 5K races.

"We've done our part, but the town has not done their part," he added.

 Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey said she "fervently advocated to revitalize the lighthouse" but was "disappointed that the supervisor and some of my colleagues on the Town Board did not prioritize it as I do."  

National Park Service spokesman John Warren said the “reversion” process, where the federal agency asks for the lighthouse to be returned, is a last-case scenario.

“We are not actively working towards reversion," he added.

In 2014, North Hempstead officials estimated the restoration could cost between $4 million and $8 million, but with inflation and the continued deterioration of the structure, DeSena said it could cost more now.

 Pam Setchell, a member of the Stepping Stones restoration committee, said the current town board is treating the lighthouse like a “political football.”

“No regime along the way has ever come to the table with the right spirit to make it work and figure it out,” she added. “The lighthouse is not a Republican and it is not a Democrat. It is a historic site, and it deserves the attention that it needs.”