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. It is also open to the public as a museum, welcoming visitors and schoolchildren to learn about the lightkeepers and their families who lived in the building up until the 1940s.

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. The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society (HALPS) had begun a campaign to raise $7.5 million to restore the lighthouse and install an underwater steel curtain to protect the pilings and foundation. In December 2024, Sen. Chuck Schumer announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had selected the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse for their protection program and identified the Lighthouse as a priority for the Corps, opening up urgently needed federal funding to help restore the site. Engineering planning to guide the repairs was underway.

However, on April 30, 2025, a barge hit the lighthouse, destroying its dock and stairway. Thankfully the impact did not appear to cause further damage to the lighthouse’s underlying foundation, and in the wake of the accident, the community rallied in support. A temporary replacement dock was constructed and donated by Keith Flinton of KTF Dock Worx, whose father built the previous dock, and it was towed to the lighthouse by Carver Marine Towing, the operator of the barge that caused the damage. The temporary dock will allow HALPS to resume preservation work on this significant community landmark.