STEPPING STONES LIGHTHOUSE FOR SALE?

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Stepping Stones Lighthouse, which can be seen from City Island just off Kings Point, looks great from far away, but it has belonged to the people of North Hempstead for about five years and none of the specific renovations the town pledged during its application have ever taken place.

The town of North Hempsted continues to claim they lack the necessary funds to fix this place up, but Pam Setchell, President of the Northeast Lighthouse Preservation Group told City Island Images the interior is beyond terrible.

The nonprofit wants to restore this deteriorating historic lighthouse, which is is need of lots of repair and TLC. The US government may transfer ownership to the nonprofit because the town has not maintained this structure, built in the 1870s almost 2000 yards off Kings Point on Long Island Sound.

The town acquired the lighthouse in 2008 under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, and laid out a plan for restoring and maintaining the structure by seeking out grants. They applied for nearly one million dollars worth of grants and also sought funding help from federal representatives, but efforts have been unsuccessful.

Pam Setchell, president of the Northeast Lighthouse Preservation Group Ltd. and the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation says she toured Stepping Stones with a group of town officials to survey its condition. She called the lighthouse "a wreck," and said that conditions continue to deteriorate, with additional water damage from a hole in the roof causing dangerous rot.

Setchell says she has formed a group of individuals with lots of soul and perseverance. She says they are preparing to make an announcement in a couple of weeks. The restoration is expected to cost $4 million. Please stay tuned!

Meanwhile, The National Park Service warns that if a new steward isn't identified, this lighthouse will go up for sale to the public.

http://www.huntingtonlighthouse.org

http://www.nps.gov

http://www.northhempstead.com