About Us:
In the late 1880's hazards created by the Middle Ground Flats opposite the City of Hudson made navigation of the Hudson River at that point extremely risky for the busy shipping route. This route went from New York City to Troy. After much petitioning of the United States Congress, a survey was completed and in 1872 appropriation of $35,000.00 was approved to build the Hudson City Lighthouse.

Construction began in early 1873 and the lighthouse was put into operation on November 14, 1874 with Henry D. Best as its first keeper. Built in the Second Empire architectural style, the two story brick and granite structure sits majestically in the middle of the river between Hudson and Athens. The lighthouse was automated on November 10,1949; almost seventy-five years to the date on which it was first lit. Today the lighthouse still serves as an aid to navigation, safely guiding ships around the Middle Ground Flats.

The original fog bell apparatus is still operational. The first fog bells were rung by hand but around 1860 the Lighthouse Board installed mechanisms to ring them automatically. Engines were initially used but the "clock work" system, which utilizes a falling weight as the source of power, was soon adopted since it is more practical and reliable. The Hudson-Athens fog bell with the "clockwork apparatus" is one of the few functional ones remaining in the United States. When operating and foggy conditions existed it would ring once every fifteen seconds.