Gary Martin Photography

The Elm Tree lighthouse, was originally a lantern hung from an old elm tree by Dutch mariners. In 1856 the first lighthouse was established as a 62 foot tall wooden tower painted white with a destinctive horizontal red band. The first lighthouse was moved in 1899 to accomodate a shift in the Swash Channel. The Elm Tree lighthouse is the front range light paired with the New Dorp lighthouse. The move in 1899 kept ships centered in the channel. In 1939 the Elm Tree lighthouse was dismantled and replaced by a 65 foot hexagonal concrete tower at Miller Field. The tower served a dual purpose and had a green light for aviators and showed a white light that was visible only to mariners, the latter still working as a pair with the New Dorp lighthouse. The tower was maintained until 1964 by New York City, at which time it was decommissioned, being replaced by channel marker buoys.