Manhattan · New York County
Little Red Lighthouse
NYC Parks
- Location
- Fort Washington Park, beneath the George Washington Bridge
- Size
- Part of Fort Washington Park acres
- Hours
- Exterior always visible; interior by special tour
- Type
- NYC Parks
The Little Red Lighthouse is the only remaining lighthouse in Manhattan, a 40-foot steel tower standing beneath the George Washington Bridge in Fort Washington Park. The lighthouse was saved from demolition by the beloved 1942 children's book 'The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge.'
The lighthouse, officially the Jeffrey's Hook Light, was built in 1880 in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and relocated to its current site in 1921 to guide ships through the treacherous waters of the Hudson River near Jeffrey's Hook.
When the George Washington Bridge was completed in 1931, the lighthouse became functionally obsolete. The Coast Guard planned to demolish it, but a public outcry inspired by the children's book by Hildegarde Swift saved the structure.
The annual Little Red Lighthouse Festival draws thousands of families to the base of the George Washington Bridge for readings of the book, live music, and the chance to see one of the most charming landmarks in the city.
The Little Red Lighthouse is the most beloved minor landmark in Manhattan, a tiny sentinel beneath one of the world's greatest bridges, saved from destruction by a children's book and preserved as proof that small things matter even in the shadow of giants.