Bug Light Restoration to Begin After East End Seaport Museum Raises $880,000

The South Fork has the Montauk Lighthouse, and the North Fork has Bug Light, which is set to undergo some major changes.

The East End Seaport Museum has raised $880,000 to launch the first phase of a major restoration of Bug Light, clearing the way for construction to begin this winter on the historic lighthouse off Long Beach Bar.

The funding milestone allows the museum to move forward with Phase One of its Keep Bug Light Shining campaign.

According to the museum, the effort was anchored by $690,000 in early leadership gifts from community donors. Those contributions helped secure matching support of $293,890 from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation and $139,000 from Empire State Development’s Regional Economic Development Council Capital Funds Program.

Marine construction will be led by Chesterfield Associates, a coastal engineering firm. The work will involve transporting crews and materials by water, reinforcing the foundation with multi-ton stone and constructing a new pier designed to withstand harsh maritime conditions.

Construction is scheduled to begin in February 2026 and is expected to be completed by mid-May, in time for the museum’s summer lighthouse cruises.

“This first phase — known as ‘Rock & Dock’ — will stabilize Bug Light’s rockpile foundation and construct a new landing dock and access ramp, addressing the most urgent preservation needs of this beloved lighthouse,” Eric Kimmel, executive director of the East End Seaport Museum, said. “Marine construction will be led by Chesterfield Associates, a firm with deep expertise in coastal engineering, and will involve transporting crews and materials by water, placing multi-ton stone to reinforce the foundation, and building a durable, environmentally responsible pier designed for long-term resilience in a harsh maritime setting. Construction is scheduled to begin in February 2026, with completion anticipated by mid-May, just in time to welcome visitors back for our summer lighthouse cruises. This foundational work not only protects the structure itself, but also sets the stage for future phases that will restore the lighthouse and expand public access, education, and cultural programming. Bug Light has always belonged to this community. I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this milestone possible, specifically our Capital Campaign Committee, which includes Paul Kreiling, Sarah Sands, Karen Sauvigné, Andrew Wolf and Heather Wolf. I am proud of what this team is accomplishing together.”

The project is intended to address the most urgent preservation needs of the lighthouse, also known as Long Beach Bar Lighthouse, which sits between Orient Harbor and Gardiner’s Bay and helps boats avoid a dangerous sandbar in the stretch. Kimmel added the work will also lay the groundwork for future restoration phases aimed at expanding public access, education and cultural programming.

In conjunction with the restoration milestone, the museum has announced a limited run of Bug Light giclée prints by local artist Michael Aron. The prints are based on Aron’s original painting, “Bug Lighthouse,” which depicts the structure using a reference photograph by Raymond Lombardo.

The prints are available unframed for $595 and framed for $795, according to the museum. Proceeds will support the museum and its preservation efforts.

More information about the restoration project and the artwork is available through the East End Seaport Museum.