Officials and members of the media visit the Tarrytown Lighthouse, a few days after an arson and vandalism spree caused significant damage, June 3, 2025 in Sleepy Hollow.
Windows boarded up at the Tarrytown Lighthouse, a few days after an arson and vandalism spree caused significant damage, June 3, 2025 in Sleepy Hollow.

Authorities said an arson and vandalism spree did significant damage to Tarrytown Lighthouse, a historic site along the Hudson River, that officials vow to rebuild.

The Tarrytown Lighthouse suffered immense damage on May 31, which could cost over $100,000, according to Westchester County. The lighthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is situated just offshore of Sleepy Hollow, a village of more than 11,400 residents, in the Kingsland Point Park area.

Video footage from the night leading to May 31 showed four people on a bridge that leads to the lighthouse and later exiting the building, authorities said. No arrests have been made.

"So right now, we're going with the assumption that entry was made into the lighthouse through that broken window," Westchester Department of Public Safety Terrance Raynor told reporters at a news conference on June 3. "We do hope that the public will, at some point, be able to help us identify the individuals that we see in the video."

Raynor said that even if the four people did not commit the vandalism and arson, they were at least trespassing. He also noted that fingerprints were found on the lighthouse door and are being processed.

What happened to the Tarrytown Lighthouse?

At about 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31, a county parks employee arrived to prepare the lighthouse for tours and saw some smoldering and smoke, according to Raynor. The staff member notified the parks and recreation department and the authorities.

Sleepy Hollow police and firefighters put out a small fire with extinguishers, Raynor said.

A police officer noticed that the gate was intact and locked, but also that the front door to the lighthouse was unlocked and that a first-floor window was broken.

Inside the lighthouse, smoldering debris was found on the ground of the first floor, as well as furniture that had been broken and thrown about, including some believed to be antiques, Raynor said. There was also second-floor interior damage.

What does security camera footage show?

Police released still images from a video on June 3 that show four people climbing over a locked gate to access the bridge that leads to the lighthouse at around 3:30 a.m. on May 31. A structure fire was visible at about 4:32 a.m.

The four individuals exited the lighthouse at around 4:45 a.m., authorities said. One person was seen wearing a "Fear of God — Essentials" hooded sweatshirt, and another wore a possibly dark-colored wristwatch.

Earlier this week, Raynor said investigators are looking for more video footage from the area.

"The Tarrytown Lighthouse is one of our County’s most iconic and cherished landmarks,” Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said earlier in the week. "This was a truly despicable act, and we will do everything we can to identify those responsible and bring them to justice."

'We will get it back'

Officials have vowed to restore the beloved landmark, built in 1883 to help local steamship companies navigate dangerous shoals, according to Westchester County's parks website.

For decades, the lighthouse's keeper rang bells during foggy conditions but also maintained a log of the river's conditions — and, at times, rescued people in distress, according to the Journal News, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The incident comes after the county finished a capital project to renovate the lighthouse. The lighthouse had been closed, in part, due to the pandemic. Then renovations started in 2022.

The refurbishment included a complete overhaul, including a paint job, the repairing of caisson cracks, window and door replacements, cleaning and re-pointing of the foundation masonry, restoring all wood floors, and reconstruction of the intermediate landing between the bridge and gangway.

Because the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, everything was done meticulously to keep its interior and exterior as close to its original look as possible. The project looked back at the lighthouse's exterior between 1937 and 1976, when it was still in active service, as a guide.

County Parks Commissioner Kathy O'Connor called the incident "disappointing" after all the efforts to refurbish it. But she promised to restore the landmark to its full glory, adding that "there's tremendous history built into this."

"We will get it back," O'Connor added of the lighthouse. "We're in contact with the contractors that did do the work. And it's a historic landmark, so we will be working with the people that followed all the rules and regulations for us for that."

Police have asked that anyone with information contact them at 800-898-TIPS or by email or small video clips to tips@wccops.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Get it back': NY community vows rebuild after fire damages 19th-century lighthouse

Reporting by Michael P. McKinney and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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