"Execution Rock. My favorite place to watch a sunset -- Execution Rock, Long Island Sound. I tried to HDR this one, and did not like it at first, but on a second look though I should sare it."
"As seen in the Long Island Sound off of Port Washington, New York"
"The lighthouse at Executor's rocks. Legend has it that the during the American Revolution, the British chained prisoner's the rocks at low tide so that they would drown at high tide. When the tide when down, the British would row another prisoner out who could see the remains of the previous prisoner. This legend, however, turns out the be pure propaganda . The rocks were named because they were a hazard to boaters, and had nothing to do with the revolution. It is, however, one of the most remarkable places to watch a sunset, and that is no myth. "
The story of executor's rocks. Myth has it that on this point, which sits off of what was then Cow Neck New York (now Port Washington), the British, during the American Revolution, took control of the rocks. The rocks were submerged at high tide, but during low tide, they would row condemned prisioners whom they had captured to be chained on the rocks. When the tide rose, the prisioner would drown. When the tide went down, the British would row the next prisioner to the rocks, with a full view of the remains of the last prisioner.
This myth has been frequently true, but alas, is not true. It was a myth -- some propaganda before the term was popular. In reality, the rocks were named because they were a hazard to boaters.
Today, a lighthouse remains, one of the oldest working lighthouses on Long Island sound, to warn boaters of the rocks.
Besides being an interesting storey, it is also an excellent place to watch a sunset.
Which is what we did on October 1, 2006 to take this picture.
by Paul Aloe
Lighthouses are fascinating structures and they become more fascinating when they are easily assessable. The Port Washington lighthouse is one that is easily assessable, but it does take a bit of a walk to be able to stand under it, if that would be your preference. The walk is about 2,500 feet along a breakwater of steel decking, very large stones and concrete. During the evening of May 31, there was a constant stream of people walking out to the lighthouse which was built in 1935.
The red light mounted on the top of the lighthouse is classified as a harbor light. It flashes once every 6 seconds. The light is 58 feet above the breakwater and 78 feet above the surface of the water. It is visible to a boat 8 miles out from the harbor. A fog horn is also mounted on the top of the lig
hthouse. It gives 2 blasts in every 30 seconds at 24 second intervals. The horn is only operable during the months of April through November.
Before this lighthouse was built, a light station atop St. Mary’s Hill functioned in a similar manner. This station was built in 1860 and replaced a light tower that had been built in 1849 on land just east of the 1860 station. From 1860 until the mid 1970’s, U. S. Coast Guard light keepers and their families lived in the light station. They first tended the tower light that rose above the station, then an 1889 wooden pier-head light and finally the current pier-head light. When the foghorn and light were automated in the mid 1970’s, the keeper’s post was eliminated.
Photos by Harold Dobberpuhl
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