Tonight, imagine a great white ray of 300000 candlepower. It once bored a hole through the gloom seaward. The Staten Island Range Lighthouse stands tall on Richmond Hill. It is also known as the Ambrose Channel Range Light. It is the rear range light companion to the West Bank Lighthouse.
Built in 1912, this 90-foot tower sits more than five miles northwest of the West Bank Lighthouse. Its location is 141 feet above sea level. The Staten Island Range Lighthouse shows a fixed white light. This beam reaches 18 miles. Vessels bound for New York and New Jersey Ports see it when coming from the Atlantic Ocean.
The original hardware is still here. This includes the second magnitude Fresnel lens and glass reflector. The mineral oil-burning lamp was replaced. It now uses a 1000-watt General Electric lamp. If that fails, a backup light turns on automatically. Many lighthouses use LED systems now. This one keeps its legacy equipment.
The Staten Island Range Light also has a second light. It is the Swash Channel Rear Light. This light is also steady and white. It shines 24 hours a day. The Swash Channel is like a secondary road. It connects the Ambrose Channel with the Sandy Hook Channel. This secondary light is not in the lantern room. That is where the main light shines from.
Both lights have backup systems. They are independent of the main lights. Neither light blinks or rotates. Each is only visible on range. The Staten Island Range Lighthouse can use on-site batteries. This ensures power during failures.
In 1968, New York City designated it a landmark. It helps ships in the Ambrose Channel. This channel is in Lower New York Bay. In 2005, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The lighthouse became a point of contention. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the federal government clashed in 1968. The issue was granting landmark status. Because it is technically on federal land, resistance arose. The designation would place it under New York City jurisdiction. The Commission won. It declared it a building of which New Yorkers are proud. Its significance to New York history was cemented.
When the Staten Island Lighthouse opened in 1912, The New York Times had high hopes. They wrote that it was destined to take its place among famous beacons of the world.
The Lighthouse Service described its purpose clearly back in 1912. It guides vessels through the outer arm of Ambrose Channel. This marks the entrance to New York Harbor.
Joe Esposito kept the light from 1992 to 2001. He accepted no salary. He did it until a heart attack forced his retirement. Coast Guard officers checked the light every three months. They made sure it was still on.
In 2001, after nine years of unpaid service, Esposito had to step down. The Coast Guard honored him. They awarded him a citation for his meritorious service. Esposito upheld the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.
Esposito said he was going back in time to 1912 every time he stepped inside the Staten Island Range Lighthouse. The Staten Island Range Lighthouse never quite reached the heights predicted. Yet, it remains a proud landmark.
In 2019, the Coast Guard granted stewardship responsibilities to the National Lighthouse Museum. The museum will care for tower maintenance and the surrounding property. This will ensure its continuation. It serves as a nostalgic reminder of our past. It is also a functional beacon.