Welfare Island Lighthouse
Posted by: 
chstress53
N 40° 46.370 W 073° 56.411
18T E 589438 N 4514080
For nearly two centuries, Blackwell was the name that identified the island that lies in the East River just off Manhattan. The Blackwell family owned the island for some time, and their ancestral home still stands near the center of the island. The island was purchased by the City of New York in 1828 and transformed into an island of municipal institutions including prisons, poor houses, and hospitals. The island was renamed Welfare Island in 1921, reflecting the status of many of its inhabitan
Waymark Code: WM3BE
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 11/03/2005
Views: 58
The prisons, which housed inmates like actress Mae West and William Marcy “Boss” Tweed, former Mayor of New York, closed when a new facility was opened on Rikers Island in 1935. In the late 1960s, plans were developed to turn a portion of the island into a residential community. The first housing complex opened in 1975, two years after the island had been renamed Roosevelt Island. Today, an aerial tramway (shown in the movie Spiderman) links the island to Manhattan, and a single bridge provides access to Queens.This 50-foot-tall, gray gneiss, Gothic-style lighthouse was built in 1872. It is not an official Coast Guard lighthouse, but it was commissioned by the city. The lighthouse’s purpose was to “effectually light” the nearby New York City Insane Asylum for boats navigating the treacherous Hell Gate waters. It was designed by architect James Renwick, Jr., whose other works include Smallpox Hospital and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Inmate labor was probably used in the city-run project, but to elaborate much on its construction is to explore legend.
Coastal Lighthouse: Lighthouse
Range Lights: Not listed
LIGHTHOUSE CHALLENGE VISIT: Not listed
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