Lady Glennn's Cold Spring Harbor Lighthouse
After I had read
an article by the Shanklins’ last year about what happened to the Cold Spring Harbor
Lighthouse (It appeared in Lighthouse Digest, November 1995, Cold Spring Harbor, NY? - http://www.lhdigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=114),
I became intrigued with Cold
Spring Harbor Lighthouse. The Coast Guard had removed the building from the caisson
base and replaced it with an automated tower light in 1965. (The automated light on the
original caisson still exists and can be seen from the small tract of land between Lloyd
Harbor and Lloyds Neck on West Neck Road. Although the light is always described as being
1500 yards from Centre Island, it is only a 100 yards from Lloyd Neck.) Mary Glennn had
found the building floating in the water and tied it to the caisson. She then contacted
the Coast Guard and found out they were going to tow the building to Eatons Neck and burn
the wood building. She then talked her husband into saving the lighthouse by purchasing it
for $1 and towing it to their property on Centre Island. Pictures in the Shanklin’s
article show Lady Glennn proudly in front of her well maintained lighthouse. Access to the
lighthouse is a problem since the community is private. I was now looking for an address
and phone number for the Glennns. Mary Glennn died in the past few years, so we’re
guessing (hoping) that her son has the property including the lighthouse.
So I’m off in search of Cold
Spring Harbor Lighthouse. First stop, Cold Spring Harbor Library who had a reference to
the our Long Island Chapter of the US Lighthouse Society website, and an article by Robert
G. Bachand in the Long Island Forum, Fall, November 1, 1990, Cold Spring Harbor Lighthouse
1890-1965.
I’ve checked the
Hagstrom’s map and have an idea of where the LH is in a private community. (Police
station at the gate.) Now I kind of know the location but do not just want to drop in and
cause a problem with the owner. I call Harbour Lights, and email the Shanklins for leads
but without any positive results. So I remember a teacher I met from Cold Spring Harbor
Schools who was the husband of a former attorney in my office. So I call him and tell him
my dilemma. So he refers me to his former Principal, who refers me to a historical person
who after convincing him of my intent – gives me a phone number. So I try for a week
calling this phone number with no answer. Frustration! So I call back my last source who
gets back to me with a completely different number and an address. YES!
I finally got the right phone
number, and called the Glennn’s answering machine and was greeted with you have
reached the Glennn family. I left a message on Tuesday, May 1. I called again at 6pm on
Wednesday May 2, and spoke to Woody’s wife. She said they got the message but her
husband got home to late to return my call. She was very helpful and said not many people
knew about the lighthouse and one who did would show up and make a nuisance of herself.
She said the lighthouse needed painting. I offered that we (LI Chapter, USLHS) could help
but she said, “That was something we should do ourselves.” She said she thought
it would be ok to come but she should really check with her husband. She asked if I wanted
to call him at work, and insured me that would be fine. I called Woody at work and he was
very friendly. He said he thought he had architectural drawings that someone gave his
parents. We arranged that I come out 8 am on Wednesday May 9th, and to call the
day before to confirm. He said he could only stay at the house to 10am before going to
work. He gave me convenient times to contact him at work 12 noon or 6pm.
I immediately called Harbour Lights who had agreed to give the
Glennn’s a replica of their lighthouse that they just released. What a great day and
a Great Company!
May 8th, 12pm, I
called Woody Glennn at work to remind him about our appointment tomorrow. He first said
“Oh that’s tomorrow.” And then warmed up and gave me directions
May 9th, rush hour but
I arrived even in traffic at 8:02am. Woody called to me through a window that he’d be
right there. I could see the top of the LH from where I parked. Woody came out to greet
me, and invited me in. I gave Woody the copies printed from the website of the Harbour
Lights replica and he thought that was pretty neat. He said he couldn’t wait to tell
his next-door neighbors. We walked out the back door and over to a wood bridge he uses to
get the lantern room. I walked around the lantern room, and into it. I asked Woody if we
could see where the LH originally was, and sure enough there was the caisson I found a
month before across Cold Spring Harbor. So if you knew where to look you can actually see
it with a telephoto lens or binoculars.
We went inside, and Woody showed
me the different levels of the light. It is very small and it’s hard to imagine where
the piano was. (Another story about the lighthouse is that Mary Glenn would hear the
lightkeeper playing the piano across the waters at night.) When we got to the bottom you
can see how tall it was. It must have been quite impressive on the caisson in the original
location. Woody apologized he didn’t have it painted for me. When we finished viewing
and taking photos outside, Woody invited me inside to show me some other things. He showed
me a cartoon his Mom did after the move, and some pictures of the LH being moved etc.
I’ll try to borrow these next time to copy. I took digitals but there not a good as a
scan. I recalled some of the stories about the piano that they heard from the lighthouse,
and the move of the lighthouse to their property. I asked Woody if he would be willing to
speak at one of our quarterly meetings, and he agreed to do so after the summer. After
about 45 minutes I left after a handshake and said I call him in June to give him the
Harbour Lights AP replica when it arrived.
Written By Bob
Scroope |