Opened in 1874, the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse used to be one of several “middle-of-the-river” lighthouses on the Hudson River. Now it’s one of only two left standing. The lighthouse was built to guide vessels around a shallow area in the river near Athens and Hudson, New York, and continues to serve as a navigation aid today, helping commercial and leisure mariners safely navigate this portion of the Hudson River. In 2024, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the lighthouse to its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to erosion and damage to pilings that support the lighthouse, as well as other preservation challenges.

Despite some significant progress, the site had a setback in April 30, 2025 when a barge hit the lighthouse, destroying its dock and stairway. In November 2025 a report commissioned by the lighthouse owners the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society, and completed by Proper & O’Leary Engineering, documented further damage to the base of the lighthouse, noting that the impact “pushed in some of the base’s stones and rotated others,” further compromising the foundation The cost of repairs is estimated between $1.9-3.6 million.