Historical Society Wants Stewardship Withdrawn From North Hempstead After Town Fails To Get Permits For Lighthouse Dock

The Great Neck Historical Society has voted that stewardship of the Steppingstone Lighthouse should be withdrawn from the Town of North Hempstead and that another means be found for its restoration.

After 15 years and 3 administrations, with no substantive progress, it is clear that the town has neither the will nor the ability to complete this project. The continued contention along party lines by members of the town board only makes the situation more toxic.

No action toward completing the dock has happened in 2023.

In 2008, the Town of North Hempstead was awarded stewardship of the Steppingstone Lighthouse by the National Park Service. Conditions of that award include restoration and maintenance of the structure along with public access and education.

In 2012, after no progress had been made, the Great Neck Historical Society agreed to enter a public/private partnership with the town to assist them. It was agreed that the Historical Society would help with fund raising and would create public awareness. Both were achieved. The Society attended street fairs, sold shirts, conducted boat tours, held 5K races, reached out to school children and much more. For ten years it has offered several suggestions for ways to create access and to begin restoration.

The town has refused to accept any suggestions and has only communicated through occasional meetings. They have constantly raised obstacles, and they have insisted that no restoration can take place until a permanent dock is built. They have continually pointed out that they are in charge and have prohibited any work to be done by volunteers.

The public/private partnership expected by the National Park Service has never been accomplished. In 2017, the Historical Society funded a contract with Modern Ruins, an architectural firm which specializes in historical restoration and has experience with lighthouses; they conducted a feasibility study and reported that Steppingstone Lighthouse is restorable. In 2022 rumors surfaced from within the town that the lighthouse was falling down. The Historical Society again hired Modern Ruins to provide an update. They reported that while it needs extensive work, the lighthouse is not falling down, and it remains restorable.

Just prior to the pandemic, the town awarded a contract for construction of a dock. However, the contractor was not equipped or able to complete the work and was fired. In spring of 2022, the town advertised for bids to complete the dock. Although the lowest bidder was qualified, the town never awarded the contract.

At the April, 2023, town board meeting, it was reported that the North Hempstead Department of Public Works had never obtained permits from federal and state agencies required to build the dock. As a result the town has been ordered to return public grant monies used to fund the partial construction. The project is now stopped.

In 2012, the Great Neck Historical Society was Invited to form a public/ private partnership with the Town of North Hempstead for restoration of the Steppingstone Lighthouse. The Society’s role was to assist with fund raising and to provide education. The Great Neck Park District also agreed to be a partner by providing facility support where it can, but not funding. Both organizations have lived up to their part of the agreement. The Historical Society has raised funds and done educational programs. The Park District has allowed access to engineers, contractors and use of dock for fundraising, boat trips and 5K races.

After 15 years and 3 administrations, the Town of North Hempstead has accomplished nothing substantive.

It has never lived up to its obligations for stewardship, which includes restoration, maintenance, and both public access and education. It has continually insisted that no restoration can be started until a dock is built. Alternatives for access proposed by outside experts have consistently been rejected.

It has never accepted any suggestions from their “partners”. It has prohibited the Historical Society from doing any restoration with volunteers. The town hired an incompetent contractor to build the dock, then did not award an advertised bid in 2022 to a competent contractor to finish dock. They did not receive required permits for the dock which are required by federal and state agencies. This has required return of grant money. All of this has allowed the project to become a politically fueled battlefield.

The present administration has clearly and repeatedly demonstrated opposition to the restoration project.

They shared no information, including permit issues with the Historical Society. This has effectively and unilaterally killed restoration of the Steppingstone Lighthouse. This has also allowed promotion of an anti-Great Neck atmosphere within the Town. The administration fails to appreciate the benefit to future generations and has missed an opportunity to preserve a valuable piece of history and its legend.

There has never been a genuine public/ private partnership. The Impact of this inaction is nothing substantive has been accomplished, and future fundraising and grants are stymied without progress after 15 years.

The Town of North Hempstead clearly has demonstrated that it has neither the will nor the ability to restore the Steppingstone Lighthouse,

Therefore, the executive board of the Great Neck Historical Society has voted unanimously that stewardship of the Steppingstone Lighthouse should be removed from the Town of North Hempstead and that another means to achieve restoration be found.

—Robert Lincoln, Chair of the Society’s Lighthouse Restoration Committee