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The Mahwah Museum 201 Franklin Turnpike Mahwah, NJ 07430

The Mahwah Museum

201 Franklin Turnpike

Mahwah, NJ 07430

(201) 512-0099

Home

https://mahwahmuseum.org/the-museum/

Open: Wednesday-1:00pm-4:00pm/Saturday & Sunday 1:00pm-4:00pm/Closed Monday-Tuesday Thursday-Friday

Fee: Non-Members $5.00/Members Free

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46590-d9819566-Reviews-Mahwah_Museum-Mahwah_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The front of the Mahwah Museum at 201 Franklin Turnpike

I visited the Mahwah Museum over the weekend and found a very engaging suburban museum that had interesting exhibitions on the subjects of Women’s Rights, Mahwah history, Les Paul memorabilia and train sets that would delight any child or the child within. There were a lot of small children that were getting a kick out the trains in the basement going around and around. For a small museum, it is packed with information both on local history and state history as well.

The Mahwah Museum is open during the Northwest Bergen History Coalition Weekend

The staff is very nice and very engaging with the visitors. They will walk you through some of the exhibitions, explain the concepts and make up of the exhibits. You can see most of the museum in one day but there is a lot to read so try to make a few trips to this interesting little museum in the middle of Mahwah, New Jersey.

Les Paul Exhibition is one of the most famous exhibitions of the artist’s work

The Mahwah Museum history:

(This information comes from the Mahwah Museum website)

The mission of the Mahwah Museum Society is to preserve and present the history of the community and its connection to the region. Museum exhibits display information about the history of Mahwah and the surrounding community. The Museum’s collection of artifacts, photographs, historical records and documents is carefully preserved, documented and cataloged and is available by appointment to historians and researchers. By encouraging discovery, understanding and appreciation of the region’s heritage, the Museum provides perspective for the present and the future.

The History of Mahwah and its Business District exhibition.

The Society is comprised of the Mahwah Museum at 201 Franklin Turnpike and the Old Station Museum and Caboose at 1871 Old Station Lane. The Mahwah Museum opened in 2001 and hosts several permanent exhibitions and a main exhibit on two levels. Permanent exhibits include: Les Paul in Mahwah, The Donald Cooper Model Railroad, the Who’s Who of Mahwah, the Lee Vold Gallery and a topographical model of Mahwah Township. The main exhibit changes periodically.

The Caboose sits in the back of the Old Station Museum in Mahwah

The Old Station Museum and Caboose opened in 1967. The restored Erie cupola caboose shows the daily operations of train crew life. The Old Station Museum was the original Erie Station in Mahwah built in 1871. Many Erie Railroad artifacts and photos related to passenger trains are displayed. The Museum is a great resource for adults and children. Educational programs are offered frequently.

The Old Station Museum is part of the Mahwah Museum

The historical sign of the Old Station Museum

The Trains of the Mahwah Museum:

The Mahwah Museum has an extensive collection of model trains representing all scales. This collection has been made possible by generous donations from the Cooper-Darboe and Margolis families.

The Donald Cooper Model Train Railroad

The Donald Cooper Model Railroad:

Located in the lower level of the museum, the Donald Cooper Model Railroad is a DCC powered, 28″ x 13″ operating HO gauge model railroad. Designed as a walk-in layout, the visitor can experience the sights and sounds of a real operating railroad.

The Model Train collection display

The collection that makes up the railroad was donated to the museum by Renee Cooper-Darboe of Mahwah, New Jersey. Donald Cooper lived in Mahwah on Island Road. He went to work for the Erie Railroad in Buffalo, New York as a Yard Supervisor. He was employed by the railroad until the 1960 merger with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western. After he left the railroad, he moved back to Mahwah and began installing security systems.

The detail work on this collection is amazing!

It was during this time he met and married his wife, Renee and learned his electrical skills. After retiring, he and Renee decided to construct a model railroad representing the trains that went through his yard in Buffalo. From 1990 to 1995 Don worked constructing the tracks and doing the electrical work while Renee built the buildings and carefully placed the people in the railroad cars. Sadly, Don passed away in 1998 and the railroad sat unused for 8 years. Renee contacted the museum in 2006 and asked if we would like a “train set”. The rest, as they say, is history.

The railroad consists of four levels, a subway, two mainline tracks and a fully operational train yard. We also have a logging railroad and a trolley line. The Donald Cooper Model Railroad is a permanent exhibit of the Mahwah Museum and open during its regular operating hours on Saturday and Sunday. Volunteers are always welcome. No experience is needed. Please visit our museum website for more information.

Jerome Margolis Lionel Collection:

Jerome Margolis was an avid collector of Lionel “O” gauge trains. He was also the owner of one of the most popular pizza restaurants in the area, Kitchley’s Tavern. People visiting his restaurant were treated to three large display cases filled with his trains. What they didn’t know was that he had many more stored away. Thanks to his son, George, they are no longer out of view.

Kinchley’s Tavern at 586 North Franklin Turnpike in Ramsey, NJ

https://www.kinchleyspizza.com/full-menu.html

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46762-d540429-Reviews-Kinchley_s_Tavern-Ramsey_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Our museum was the lucky recipient of the remainder of this collection. Currently they are in static display in out layout room for our visitors to enjoy. The collection represents many of Lionel’s most popular models from the 1970’s through 2005. The famous Santa Fe, red and silver “War-Bonnet” F7, Union Pacific “Big-Boy articulated locomotive and Pennsylvania “Mountain” steam locomotive are just a few pieces in the collection. Come and enjoy this wonderful collection of some of America’s best known locomotives.

The Les Paul Collection:

Musician Les Paul

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul

The Les Paul display

The Les Paul in Mahwah exhibit showcases many of Les’ innovations in solid body electric guitar design and multi-track sound recording. Les called Mahwah home for nearly 60 years and is the only person to be elected to both the Inventor’s Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Les Paul exhibition of recording equipment

On display are items from Les’s home studio where many of his and Mary Ford’s hits were recorded. The Mahwah Museum is honored to house this landmark equipment which includes his recording console, an Ampex eight track stack, an Ampex 300 deck, the “Wally Box” and part of the studio wall that was expressly designed to create an echo chamber. Also on display is Les’s disk-cutting lathe used to record sound onto acetate disks. Among Les’s guitars on display are one of his “Klunkers” and a replica of “The Log” (an early prototype of the solid body guitar).

The Les Paul recording equipment display

Visitors may play many of the guitars through our Play a Les Paul Guitar program. (Reservations are required.)

Ramapough Legacy ~ Heritage Exhibition:

The Ramapough Lenape exhibition

The Ramapough Lenape people have a long and complex history in the Ramapo River Valley communities of Mahwah, Ringwood, and Hillburn. Explore and learn about this Indigenous people’s history, folklore, art, craft, tools, herbs and medicines, costume, and culture.

The Native American exhibition

The Native American display

The Palisades Amusement Park exhibition:

The Palisade Amusement Park sign

This miniature depicts the legendary Palisades Amusement Park as it would have looked in the mid 1930s. The scale of this model is 1:12, a common dollhouse scale. The original builder of the model was Joe Prisco, a longtime park employee. His estimated cost for the initial build was $40,000. Over 3,700 light bulbs and 15 power transformers were used to illuminate the rides and attractions. It was displayed at several locations in Ocean County, New Jersey in the 1990s. Prisco died in 2006.

In 2018, Vince Gargiulo, Executive Director of the Palisades Amusement Park Historical Society, traced the whereabouts of the model. The Prisco family donated what was left of the model to the historical society. To date, twenty-five pieces have been restored, including as seen in this exhibit, the Tunnel of Love, the World’s Largest Outdoor Salt Water Pool, the Ferris Wheel, the Carousel, the Free Act Stage, the Bumper Cars and much more.

The Palisades Park mini display at the Mahwah Museum

The Mahwah Museum Society is a nonprofit corporation under the laws of New Jersey and has qualified as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt entity under the Internal Revenue Code. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees.

The Palisades Park display

*This information was taken from the pamphlets provided by the museum on my visit. Take the full afternoon to explore this interesting museum and their exhibitions.

*Please contact the museum for any changes in exhibitions or schedule of times.

The Fritz Behnke Historical Museum of Paramus 330 Paramus Road Paramus, NJ 07652

The Fritz Behnke Historical Museum of Paramus

330 Paramus Road

Paramus, NJ 07652

(201) 445-1804

Home

Open: Sunday-1:00pm-5:00pm

Fee-Free with donations

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46712-d4973052-Reviews-Fritz_Behnke_Historical_Museum-Paramus_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Contact & Directions

http://www.ParamusHistoricalMuseum.com

Driving Directions:

From Highway 17 & 4 proceed west on Route 4 approximately 1 mile to Paramus Road. Exit toward Ridgewood. Continue north through the traffic light. Pass a cemetery and a golf course. The museum is next on the right.

The front of the Fritz Behnke Historical Museum on 330 Paramus Road

I visited The Fritz Behnke Historical Museum of Paramus, NJ the other day after passing it for many years and found a smaller museum that told the history of Paramus, NJ. It has interesting displays on the agricultural past of the County of Bergen. Fred Behnke, the founder’s son, took me on the tour of his father’s masterpiece and I found the displays to be interesting and engaging.

The Grist Mill sign from the old mill

The Grist Mill pieces in the new display outside the museum

The sign that welcomes you to the museum

The Glacier Rock in the front of the museum

The farming hoe display in the front of the museum

He showed me equipment that had been in his family for generations and some of the Indian artifacts that his family had found on the property which gave more depth to the history of the property as it had been farmed by local Native American tribes.

The Fritz Behnke Historical Museum contains 2 floors of artifacts dating back to the early 1900’s when there were many farms in the Bergen County area.

Take the time to visit the basement and watch their history video. It is very interesting short on the history of the museum and the borough of Paramus. If you are from Bergen County and grew up here in the 70’s and 80’s, you will recognize a lot of the changes that have happened over the last forty years. It is a real reflection on the changes of Bergen County, NJ over the last 100 years. The museum is only open on Sunday’s so plan accordingly.

The Farming gallery in the basement in of the museum

The Behnke family farming equipment

The farming equipment on display for use on the farm

The farm crops and the recreation around the farm

The Egg Sorter and the Dairy industry for milking and bottles

The main floor had an exhibit of Police and Fire Department memorabilia, an being the exhibit displaying the history of Bergen Pines County Hospital and a display of an old school room. This was Paramus during different eras.

The Paramus Fire Department

The Paramus Fire Department

The Police and Fire Department displays

The hospital display

The School room display from the turn of the century until today

There is an area showing household cleaning and laundry items, including one of the first electric washing machines, a duplicate of which is at the Smithsonian Museum. The kitchen area displays many old devices, used in cooking and includes an old ice box and a wood-burning stove as well as a early gas stove.

The Farmhouse kitchen

The Children’s Toy exhibition

The toys that have not changed over the years for children to enjoy

The Kids Room contains many old toys such as strap-on ice and roller skates, dolls, doll houses and cast metal farm tractors. In the parlor area there are old wind up phonographs and a church organ. In the corridors there are many photographs showing the Paramus of yesteryear.

The 1930’s items in the room

The room in the 1930’s and 40’s

The history of Paramus, NJ is explained at the museum

On the lower lever is an interesting 12-minute video presentations on the history of Paramus. There are also displays of woodworking, blacksmithing and farming. The farm display depicts the two distinct differences in Paramus farming that of the celery farms in the muck soil on the west side of town and vegetable farms in the brown soil on the east side of town. There are many different farming items displayed including an egg sorting machine and a shovel hand carved from one piece of wood.

The history of the radios and record player

More household items over time

The bottles and glass insulators from the top of telephone poles

Special Notes in History provided by the museum:

The History of Sprout Brook: Long before Route 17 was built through the center of Paramus, Sprout Brook also ran north to south through meadows and woodland, which abounded with wildlife. Beginning in the northwest, it rambled through the rich black soil or ‘muck’ that had once been a lake bottom.

The dark soil farm on one side of the brook

The Light Farm soil on the other side of the stream

As farmers discovered the rich soil, they dug ditches off the brook to irrigate their celery farms. At that time, Paramus was nationally known for its celery farm production. As the water flowed southeast, it bordered on higher ground called ‘upland’, which was also fertile soil conducive to growing a variety of vegetables like corn, tomatoes and cabbage.

The Sprout Brook history and farming

In the early Spring, the farmers planted their seed in greenhouses and waited until the last frost passed. The plants were then transported outside to the filed where they were cultivated and watered until they became mature enough to harvest. Produce was taken by horse and wagon and later by truck crossing the Hudson river via ferry board to the markets in New York City.

The colored eggs from different species of chickens

After all the produce was sold, they returned home late in the evening only to rise early the next morning to begin preparing the vegetables to take to market that night. It was a ‘family affair’ and farmers often helped each other with their harvests when extra hands were needed.

An early plow of an early design

During the 1940’s and 1950’s, roadside stand selling produce for extra income was common. Families driving through Paramus from New York City often frequented these produce stands along Route 4, Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus Road and Farview Avenue.

Items for life on the farm

The Farms of Bergen County, NJ

Sprout Brook is an integral part of the history of Paramus. It divided the Borough’s two school districts; the children living east of the Sprout Brook attended Farview School and Hackensack High School and those west of Sprout Brook attended Midland School and Ridgewood High School. In later years, two middle schools were built and appropriately named “Eastbrook” and “Westbrook”. In 1957, Paramus High School was built bringing the town together in one school. Voting districts were also determined by residents living east and west of Sprout Brook.

The Paramus High School Display

History of the Lenape Indians: The Indians of Bergen County, the Lenni Lenape Indians settled in the area for many reasons. The climate was ideal all year so they could survive during the winter months. Also the Ramapo Mountains made an ideal place to live. The shale rock overhangs were like caves that provided protection from the weather. There was abundant water in the area from the Hackensack and Saddle Rivers, Sprout Brook and many ponds that provided good fishing and navigation.

The Lenape Native American display

The wild animals in the area came to drink at these waterways thus providing great opportunities for hunting. The land was also fertile, which made for good farming such as corn (or Maize) and other root crops. These crops attracted many birds such as quail, pheasant and of course, the wild turkey which hare still in the area today.

Our early settlers traded with the Indians. Mrs. Lawrence, the one room school teacher was of Indian descent. As the early farmers in the area plowed their fields, they found arrowheads, tomahawks and grinding stones. The Lenni Lenape called this area “Perapepus”, which meant rich or fertile land. Through the years, the name changed several times until it became Paramus.

The museum also has the history of the Paramus Fire and Police Departments as well as the early Bergen Pines Hospital.

The history of the Police and Fire Departments

The Military display

There was also a wonderful display of old businesses in Bergen County. For many residents who grew up in the area will recognize from the 1960’s and 1970’s. There were menus, dishes and meal set ups on display reminding us of dining from that era.

Businesses from Paramus and from Bergen County

Businesses in Paramus and Bergen County, NJ

The new “Fireplace Hamburger” display for the well-known restaurant that closed during COVID

*This little gem of a museum is only open one day a week but can be opened to accommodate groups so please call the museum for details. The museum is free to the public but please leave a donation to help with the costs of the museum. It is well worth the trip if you like the history early farming communities or want the know the history of Bergen County.

The Paramus Quilt display

The “Whatchamacallit” display

My Marketing Class at Bergen Community College Project promoting the museum:

The Blog on the whole project:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=57059&action=edit

In October of 2024, I partnered with the museum to a Destination Tourism project to assist the museum in targeting to a new visitor with new Digital Marketing. I thought the museum had a lot of potential that had not been tapped into and thought this would be the perfect challenge to for the students to give the museum a fresh perspective.

I made an appointment with the staff at the museum and asked if they would partner with me for a Marketing project and they gladly accepted.

I arranged the class to have a field trip to the Behnke Museum during class time but I also arranged an extra credit trip the Sunday before so the students could get a glimpse of the museum ahead of time.

My class on their field trip to the Behnke Museum in Paramus, NJ

Then during class time we took a more formal tour of the museum with the founder’s son, Fred Behnke and his Volunteer Board, who gave us a better perspective of the museum.

The students at the Behnke Museum during our field trip

The class getting the tour from the founder’s son, Fred Behnke

After the tour was over, our class took a group picture

I had the students write a paper on their thoughts of improving the museum and the broke them into groups based on their thoughts. They had one week to put their game plan together and then they presented it to myself and the museum.

This is their presentation:

The Student Consultants had a week to put the Presentation together and create a commercial to promote the museum and their PowerPoint on their ideas to create excitement at the museum. Here is their project Presentation and PowerPoint on the project. Please remember that they had seven days to do this.

The PowerPoint:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1atn7BlTHfG88tND0P8fU1yNzmEpFrEG4/view?usp=gmail

The Video of the Presentation:

https://www.youtubeeducation.com/watch?v=krZNmHevETA

The Team Picture after the Behnke Museum Presentation to the Museum Volunteer Staff:

The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Paramus Team for the Behnke Museum

The Behnke Museum Volunteer Staff was impressed with the students ideas and thought there was a lot good ideas that they can use.

Commercial Group One:

Commercial Group Two:

Marketing Commercial Team Two:

Commercial Group Three:

Marketing Commercial Team Three:

Commercial Group Four:

I could see by the reaction of the museum that they were please with the project and I hope it helps them in the future. It really is a great museum.

Lucy the Elephant: A National Historical Landmark 9200 Atlantic Avenue Margate, NJ 08402

Lucy the Elephant: A National Historical Landmark

9200 Atlantic Avenue

Margate, NJ 08402

(609) 823-6473

http://www.LucyTheElephant.org

https://www.facebook.com/elephantlucy/

Open: The hours for the structure change throughout the year, so please check the website for time availability of the park and structure.

Admission: $8.00 Adults/$4.00 Children/Children under 2 free

Group Tours & Information:

Lucy is available year round for groups of 10 or more by appointment. For special holiday hours and weather closings, please call or check our website.

How to get to Lucy:

It is best to check the website for your location to the structure. For detailed instructions, please visit http://www.lucythe elephant.org.

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46600-d518065-Reviews-Lucy_the_Elephant-Margate_City_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Lucy from the beach side view

The welcome sign

I visited Lucy the Elephant in the fall of 2015 right before Christmas on a tour I was taking of Southern New Jersey and the shoreline. This unique structure was built to attract people to the shore to buy land and for development.

The view from the parking lot

There were two other ‘Lucy’s’ built one of them being the former ‘Elephant Hotel’ in Coney Island that burned down in the last century.

The front view of the elephant

This well preserved building has been renovated and part of the Jersey shore lore. It is well worth the visit in the off season on a nice day. I unfortunately visited on a rainy day in 2015 and was not able to go to the top and still have a free pass to go whenever I want to visit again.

Entering the elephant through the winding stairs

Still I was able to take the spiral staircase to her belly to learn the history of the structure and that is very interesting.

Lucy the Elephant in its full glory

I started my tour in 2025 at the door of her base

I visited Lucy again in 2025 and was finally able to visit the top of the statue, the howdah, and able to take in the view of the ocean and the surrounding area. Try to visit “Lucy” when it is a sunny day out. You will be able to take in the spectacular view of the ocean.

The tour starts in her inside, looking over the displays and where the bar was located where the owner would ply investors with liquor to have them invest in beach real estate.

Inside of Lucy the Elephant: the history and displays

The inside of Lucy on a recent tour

Touring the inside of Lucy

I was able to take my time because I visited in the off season on a nice day and since J was the only one on the tour, I got to take my time and talk with the tour guide.

I got to look through Lucy’s eyes and see the views of the ocean and of the surrounding areas was interesting.

Lucy’s eyes and truck

Lucy’s left eye

Lucy’s right eye

The former bathroom inside of Lucy

The inside displays of Lucy

The skylight that illuminates the inside

Then it was time to walk up to the howdah and enjoy the view. It was a somewhat over cast day but you could still enjoy the view.

The view from the howdah on the top of the elephant

The roof of the howdah

The view of the beach from the howdah

The view of Margate from the howdah

The view from the howdah showcases the view of both the beach and the City of Margate. You can see from mikes around and on a hot day, the breezes are amazing.

The restored wood work

The video of the views

The tour of Lucy is about an hour but the history of this shore landmark and its influence in shore real estate and the development of these towns is so interesting.

Leaving the elephant we could see her behind

The History of Lucy the Elephant:

Lucy was built by a real estate speculator who owned a great many parcels of open land at the Jersey shore. In order to attract visitors and potential buyer, he built Lucy as a novelty amusement. He patented his idea, ensuring that Lucy would remain a unique piece of architecture.

Eventually, a popular hotel business was built around Lucy. Presidents and royalty came from around the world to stay at the neighboring Elephant Hotel and climb the stairs to Lucy’s howdah.

Lucy facing the ocean

During her history, Lucy has survived hurricanes, ocean floods and even a fire accidentally stated by some inebriated party-goers when she served as tavern. However, by the 1960’s, it became apparent there was one disaster Lucy could not overcome-neglect. By that time, the once proud jewel of the South Jersey Isles had become an almost hopeless, condemned structure.

Eventually a developer purchased Lucy’s lot and intended to build a new condominium building on the site. The beach and the ocean could stay-but the elephant had to go!

Lucy the Elephant near the wrecking ball

To the rescue came the Save Lucy Committee. Within weeks, this small, concerned group of ordinary citizens had raised enough money to move the entire decaying structure two blocks away to a new site owned by the city. Thirty years and over one million dollars later, Lucy has been completely restored to her original splendor, inside and out.

In 1976, Lucy was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Government as the oldest surviving example of a unique form of “zoomorphic” architecture. Today, she is every bit as popular and beloved as she ever was.

The history of the elephant

The history of the park

The history of Lucy

The history of the park and who saved it

About the Park:

Lucy the Elephant is located along the beach in Josephine Harron Park (named for our co-founder) in Margate, NJ. Lucy is six stories high and is listed on the National Park Registry of Historical Landmarks. Our park is fenced and contained, making child supervision easy. Picnic tables are on site for eating outdoors. We also have friendly, trained volunteers and staff to assist you during your visit. On the tour, you will learn about Lucy’s unique architecture and her colorful history.

Lucy facing the sea

You will get to climb a spiral staircase through her insides and all the way up to the howdah on her back, providing a spectacular 360 degrees view of the surrounding shore area. Kids and adults alike are sure to enjoy visiting the only elephant in the world “you can walk through and come out alive”.

Lucy is also available by appointment for schools, groups and special events such as weddings or birthday parties. There are guided tours, a gift shop, free parking and all major credit cards are accepted.

Lucy the Elephant symbol of the town

Lucy from the front of the parking lot

Lucy from the ticket booth across the street

This information was taken from the pamphlet from The Save Lucy Committee. For more information, visit the online website at http://www.LucyTheElephant.org

*Disclaimer from author: All this information is located both on the pamphlet and on the website. Visiting Lucy is a treat and should be visited by all residents of New Jersey.

The gift shop the supports raising much needed funds for restoration.

Visit downtown Margate for lunch after your visit

Downtown Margate after my tour

I went to Pierre’s Pizza at 7 North Washington Avenue for lunch. Their cheese pizza is wonderful. The restaurant is two blocks from Lucy.

Pierre’s Pizza at 7 North Washington Street in Margate, NJ

https://www.pierrespizzamenu.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46600-d475155-Reviews-Pierre_s_Pizza-Margate_City_New_Jersey.html?m=69573

The inside of the pizzeria

Their delicious cheese pizza is over-sized, crisp and has a nice tasting sauce.

The Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park 178th Street by the George Washington Bridge New York, NY 10033

The Little Red Lighthouse: Fort Washington Park

178th Street under the George Washington Bridge

New York, NY 10033

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-washington-park/highlights/11044

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d2368581-Reviews-Little_Red_Lighthouse-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

*I came across the Little Red Lighthouse when I was touring Fort Washington Park one afternoon on the walk and did not realize how famous this landmark was in literature. It was part of the book, “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge”. It is a small landmark but on a nice day it offers great views of the river and the surrounding park.

Little Red Lighthouse II.jpg

The Little Red Lighthouse & Fort Washington Park (Text is part of the Historical Signs Project).

The Little Red Lighthouse stopped being used as a functional lighthouse long ago but over the years this 40-foot-high structure has become a beacon of another kind. Located underneath the George Washington Bridge along this treacherous section of the Hudson River once known as Jeffrey’s Hook, this is one of the few surviving lighthouses in New York City and serves as a quaint reminder of the area’s history.

Long ago, Native Americans known locally as the Wiechquaesgeck-part of the Lenape tribe-inhabited much of upper Manhattan and eastern New Jersey. The Wiechquaesgeck and later the Dutch and English colonists, fished and hunted along the banks of the Hudson River. The Hudson was also an important route for travel, connecting upstate cities such as Albany to New York City and the Atlantic Ocean. As traffic increased along the river, so did the number of shipwrecks at Jeffery’s Hook. In an attempt to reduce the accidents, a red pole was placed at Jeffrey’s Hook jutting out over the river to warn travelers of danger. In 1889, two 10-candlepower lanterns were placed on the pole to aid navigation. Much of the land surrounding the lighthouse, including the riverbanks of Jeffery’s Hook was acquired by the City in 1896 and became known as Fort Washington Park.

In the early 20th Century, barge captains carrying goods up and down the Hudson demanded a brighter beacon. The Little Red Lighthouse had been erected at Sandy Hooks, New Jersey in 1880 where it used a 1,000 pound fog signal and flashing red light to guide ships through the night. It became obsolete and was dismantled in 1917. In 1921, the U.S. Coast Guard reconstructed this lighthouse on Jeffrey’s Hook in an attempt to improve navigational aids on the Hudson River. Run by a part-time keeper and furnished with a battery-powered lamp and a fog bell, the lighthouse, then known as Jeffery’s Hook Lighthouse was an important guide to river travelers for ten years. The George Washington Bridge opened in 1931 and the brighter lights of the bridge again made the lighthouse obsolete. In 1948, the Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse and its lamp was extinguished.

The Coast Guard planned to auction off the lighthouse but an outpouring of support fro the beacon helped save it. The outcry from the public was prompted by the children’s book, ‘The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great gray Bridge’, written by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward in 1942. In the popular book, the Little Red Lighthouse is happy and content until a great bridge is built over it. In the end, the lighthouse learns that it still has an important job to do and that there is still a place in the world for an old lighthouse. The classic tale captured the imaginations of children and adults, many of whom wrote letters and sent money to help save the icon from the auction block.

On July 23, 1951, the Coast Guard gave the property to Parks and on May 29, 1979, the Little Red Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historical Places. It did not receive much attention over the years until City Comptroller Harrison J. Goldin worked with Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern to find funding for its restoration. In 1986, Parks hosted a party in honor of the lighthouse’s 65 anniversary and to celebrate a $209,000 renovation of the lighthouse that included reconstruction of the concrete foundation and the installation of new steel doors. In the year 2000, the lighthouse received a fresh coast of red paint that is true to its original, historic color along with new interior lighting and electric lines. Today the Little Red Lighthouse remains a stalwart symbol of the area’s heritage, lighting the way into the city’s past.

The Little Red Lighthouse is owned by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City.

Little Red Lighthouse.jpg

*This information comes off the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation website. I would advise because of the isolated location of the lighthouse in the park to visit at daylight hours.

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