Robbins Reef Lighthouse, built in 1883 on the west side of Main Channel, Upper New York Bay, is best known as the home of the renowned Keeper Kate Walker. Ownership was transferred to the Noble Maritime Collection an organization based on Staten Island, New York. The organization is restoring the lighthouse as a museum.
Also, there is now an exhibition called “Robbins Reef Lighthouse: A Home in the Harbor” at the Noble Maritime Collection’s museum on Staten Island. The exhibition includes the history of the lighthouse, particularly at the time of its most famous keeper, Kate Walker, the current restoration by volunteers, and historic and contemporary interpretations by artists.
If you are interested in helping with the restoration of Robbins Reef Lighthouse, please contact the museum at (718) 447-6490.
U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is a past president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org