202 15% OFF!! Old Field Point Light, NY, HL 707, #948 (low number) of 10,000 (hand-numbered on a sticker on the bottom), made in China, box (#6), Certificate of Authenticity, tent card, 4th of Christmas Lights, issued 09/1998, retired 12/1998
Each piece will be double boxed and packed for a 30' drop should that occur in handling. Shipper only insures first $50 valuation at no additional cost. PLEASE NOTE: I will only refund this amount ($50) if damage occurs unless buyer has purchased additional insurance. If buyer wishes additional insurance, the cost associated with additional insurance will be calculated and buyer will pay additional cost. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT INSURANCE OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PRIOR TO MAKING PAYMENT.
(Harbour Lights sculpture features Old Field Point Light as it may have appeared in 1898 on Christmas Day with a fresh powdering of snow.)
On a windswept bluff on the northern Long Island coast, a quaint stone lighthouse beckons to sailors. Established in 1868, Old Field Point Light remains an important aid to navigation and a symbol of the deep-rooted maritime tradition of this area.
Just off Old Field Point, a series of hazardous boulders extend far into Long Island Sound. In 1823, the Federal government purchased a parcel of land on the Point and ordered that a light station be established here. A year later, Congress appropriated the necessary funding to complete the project. Built by John McComb, Jr., the talented engineer who constructed Montauk Point Light, the new sentinel was completed in 1825. Constructed of rough-case stone, the 5-room lighthouse was small, yet sturdy. Its early beacon consisted of 9 whale-oil-powered lamps in a large lantern, magnified by parabolic reflectors.
As shipping increased on Long Island Sound it became evident that a more powerful beacon was needed. Because the railroad had not yet reached this section of Long Island, the Sound was populated with commercial, mail, and passenger vessels. In 1868, a new light lighthouse was erected on a low bluff near the western entrance to Port Jefferson Harbor. Considerably larger than the 1824 station, the new 2½-story structure was constructed of 2' thick granite blocks. Rising from the sturdy dwelling was a 35' wooden tower. Combined with the elevation of the hill, the 4th-Order Fresnel lens had a focal plane of 74'. Mariners could spot the fixed white beacon for 13 nautical miles.
In 1933, officials decided to abandon the lighthouse in favor of an automated gas light. Revolving atop a 50' black skeleton tower, the new beacon was efficient, yet lacked the charm and tradition of its predecessor. In the summer of 1991, Coast Guard officials reactivated the beacon in the 1868 lighthouse, much to the delight of local residents and historians. An initiative by dedicated local citizens secured private funding to restore the building to its 19th Century splendor. Today, the living quarters are used for town offices and as a residence. The original 1824 structure is also still in use, serving as the Old Field Village Town Hall. The Chief Constable of Old Field Village resides in the lighthouse, which has a living room, dining room, kitchen and den on the first floor, and three bedrooms and a bath upstairs.
NOTE: Originally produced with a leafless tree, the tree proved too fragile to properly ship to dealers. A snow-dusted evergreen tree was designed and produced to take the place of the leafless tree. The swap was made on all 10,000 pieces by the Harbour Lights art staff during September of 1998!
MEASUREMENTS: L = 8¼” x W = 4½” x H = 5”
CONDITION: Very good. Displayed for a short time in glass-enclosed curio cabinet.
Each piece will be double boxed and packed for a 30' drop should that occur in handling. Shipper only insures first $50 valuation at no additional cost. PLEASE NOTE: I will only refund this amount ($50) if damage occurs unless buyer has purchased additional insurance. If buyer wishes additional insurance, the cost associated with additional insurance will be calculated and buyer will pay additional cost. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT INSURANCE OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PRIOR TO MAKING PAYMENT.
If damaged in shipping, buyer must save damaged carton to show shipper’s rep condition of boxes.
NOTE: for the most part, I only collected full size Harbour Lights. GLOWS and Little Lights of Mine will be clearly identified as such should I find I have any.