Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Visit the site of the Battle of Stony Point, one of the last Revolutionary War battles in the Hudson Valley. By May 1779 the war was in its fourth year, and both sides were eager for a conclusion. Sir Henry Clinton, Commander-In-Chief of the British forces in America, attempted to coerce General George Washington into a decisive battle by seizing and fortifying Stony Point, thereby threatening West Point and the vital Hudson Highlands. Washington and General Wayne came up with a plan to retake Stony Point, using the specially trained Corps of Light Infantry. Armed with bayonets only and ordered not to load their muskets, Wayne's men stormed the fort and captured it's garrison, supplies, and British Lt. Col. Johnson in about twenty-five minutes. In one fell swoop the British lost fifteen pieces of artillery, hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of military supplies, and nearly five hundred soldiers taken as prisoners of war.

The Stony Point Lighthouse, built in 1826, is the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River, and operated for ninety-nine years. De-commissioned in 1925, it now stands as a historical reminder of the importance of lighthouses to commerce on the Hudson River. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 unleashed a surge of commercial navigation along the Hudson River, by linking New York City to America's heartland. Within a year, the first of the Hudson's fourteen lights shone at Stony Point, and others soon followed, designed to safely guide maritime travel along the river. A total of twelve keepers -- three of whom were women, most notably Nancy Rose -- maintained the light station and kept the lamps burning at night and the fog bells ringing in poor weather.

The site features a museum, which offers exhibits on the Battle of Stony Point and the Stony Point Lighthouse, as well as interpretive programs, such as living history camp highlighting 18th-century military life, cannon and musket firings, and cooking demonstrations during the summer season.

No Pets Allowed