Friday, April 28, 2017

WALK: LITTLE RED LIGHTHOUSE SPRING 2017

A Bespoke reader sent over some amazing photos of famous Little Red Lighthouse that is located under the George Washington Bridge in the Heights.  As we mentioned in the past, many cyclists and joggers take a detour around 178th Street to take a look at the lighthouse and the spectacular Hudson views. Built in 1880 on the New Jersey side, the lighthouse was dismantled in 1917 and erected on the New York City side in 1921.

By 1947, the government made the decision to no longer use the lighthouse and thus proceed the process that would eventually result in the demolition of the structure. By the time the famous children's book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge had already been written and locals rallied to preserve this icon of the past. This was extraordinary, for the powerful Landmarks Commission was yet to be formed and the sheer number of local preservationists saved the lighthouse on their own volition.

HarlemBespoke.com 2017

1 comment:

  1. Don't forget--the great 1948 noir thriller Force of Evil (John Garfield and Marie Windsor!) climaxes with a scene at the Litttle Red Lighthouse.

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