Stony Point Battlefield and Lighthouse 

Historic Site Information

Stony Point Battlefield is the site of the July 15-16, 1779 Storming of Stony Point by American General Anthony Wayne and the Continental Corps of Light Infantry. This daring midnight assault on the British fortifications by bayonet point surprised the British and seized the fort.

Stony Point is also home to the first lighthouse built on the Hudson River. Opened in December of 1826, a few years after the opening of the Erie Canal, the Lighthouse guided mariners through the narrow pass between Stony and Verplanck’s Points until 1925. In its 99 years, only one vessel ran aground, with no reported fatalities – a testament to the vigilance of the lightkeepers, notably Nancy Rose, who tended the light for almost 50 years.

Today, the grounds of Stony Point are a beautiful mix of woods and tended lawns, with commanding panoramic views of the Hudson River looking north to the Hudson Highlands and south to Haverstraw Bay. Visitors can tour the museum and walk through Stony Point’s living history Soldiers’ Camp. On weekends they can watch the reproduction 6-pounder cannon fire and see uniformed interpreters fire muskets. Interpretive history signs are strategically placed around the site allowing visitors to conduct a self-guided walking tour. Step back in time and march in the footsteps of Wayne and his soldiers as they charged up the hill and stand with the lightkeepers as they watched over the thousands of ships passing Stony Point every year, protecting our nation’s commerce.