WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Manhattan's Little Red Lighthouse, the waterfront landmark immortalized in a classic children's book, is slated for a restoration project with an initial $13 million investment, the Historic House Trust of New York City said Tuesday.
The nonprofit is working with Henson Architecture to restore the lighthouse beneath the George Washington Bridge in Fort Washington Park and improve the surrounding grounds.
Design is underway, though the announcement did not include a construction start date or completion timeline.
Plans include preserving the lighthouse's historic structure, improving accessibility for visitors with disabilities, upgrading safety features and expanding opportunities for free public tours.
The project also calls for better signage and connections from public transportation, parkland improvements and new historical and artistic displays.
"This beloved landmark tells a uniquely New York story: one of purpose, reinvention, and the power of people to influence change," said Giulietta Fiore, executive director of the Historic House Trust.
Built in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, in 1880, the lighthouse was moved to Jeffrey's Hook along the Hudson River in 1921. The 40-foot cast-iron tower is Manhattan's only remaining historic lighthouse, according to the trust.
It became a literary landmark through the 1942 children's book "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge," written by Hildegard H. Swift and illustrated by Lynd Ward.
The announcement comes ahead of the free Little Red Lighthouse Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 4 p.m.
The waterfront celebration will feature book readings, live music, performances and activities for all ages. Lighthouse tours will be limited to the first 200 attendees, with tickets distributed on-site at noon on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Riverside Park Conservancy.
"The Little Red Lighthouse is a unique and irreplaceable piece of the landscape of Fort Washington Park and the story of the Hudson River," said Merritt Birnbaum, the conservancy's president and CEO.
For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.
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