Crazy Facts About the Middle Grounds Lighthouse

Posted on by Crazy Facts About Long Island

Also known as Stratford Shoal Light, Middle Grounds Lighthouse, or “That Thing You See From the Ferry”

Halfway between Port Jefferson and Bridgeport sits a granite fortress that flashes every five seconds and has kept boaters guessing for nearly 150 years. It’s been a light station, a no-man’s-land, and the centerpiece of a federal-state tug-of-war. Here’s everything you didn’t know you needed to know about the Middle Grounds Lighthouse:

Middle of Nowhere Real Estate

  • Stratford Shoal Light sits smack in the middle of Long Island Sound — about 5 nautical miles from Old Field Point and 5.5 from Stamford, Connecticut.

  • Despite being a Long Island icon, the seabed it rests on is legally part of Connecticut.

  • It’s often listed as being in Setauket, New York, but that’s more about mailing addresses than maritime accuracy.

  • It’s only accessible by boat — there are no docks, piers, or helicopter pads.

  • The lighthouse is perched on a natural shoal roughly 1.4 miles wide, smack between Stratford Point, CT and Old Field Point, NY — hence the nickname “Middle Ground.”

Built to Replace a Floating Failure

  • The shoal was first marked for navigation in 1820 with a pair of buoys.

  • In 1838, a floating lightship was anchored to the site. It was the first of at least three lightships used there.

  • These vessels acted as mobile lighthouses but were prone to drifting in storms or ice.

  • In winter, ice floes would batter the ships and make the area extremely dangerous.

  • Congress finally had enough and funded a permanent lighthouse in 1876; it was completed in 1877.

  • The structure sits atop a manmade granite island built over the shoal.

  • The granite used in the lighthouse came from Vinalhaven, Maine, known for its durability in maritime construction.

  • At roughly 2,000 square feet, the building is compact but solid — thanks to 2.5-foot-thick granite walls.

A Bit of Geologic Ghosting

  • In 1614, explorer Adriaen Block mapped two low-lying islands in this area.

  • By the early 1700s, both had eroded below sea level, leaving behind the treacherous Stratford Shoal.

  • What’s there now is mostly underwater — except for the lighthouse sitting stubbornly above it all.

Life at the Light

  • Before automation, lighthouse keepers were stationed here year-round, often enduring severe isolation.

  • The station was considered a highly undesirable post due to its remoteness and brutal winters.

  • The lighthouse had a Fresnel lens and a first-class fog bell when it was active.

  • The structure sustained repeated damage from ice pressure, a constant threat in the colder months.

  • The lighthouse was automated in 1970, and its original lens was removed.

  • It now flashes every five seconds and sounds a foghorn every fifteen — powered by solar panels and batteries.

  • Though no longer vital for navigation thanks to GPS, the U.S. Coast Guard still maintains it as an active aid.

Why You Can’t Stay There (But Someone Tried)

  • Under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the U.S. government offers old lighthouses to nonprofits or government agencies first.

  • If no suitable steward is found, it goes to public auction.

  • In 2023, Stratford Shoal went up for auction with a starting bid of just $10,000.

  • It was one of ten lighthouses offered that year, part of a program that has raised over $10 million for the Coast Guard since 2000.

Meet Nick Korstad: The Guy Who Tried to Make It Work

  • Lighthouse collector and preservationist Nick Korstad was awarded stewardship of Stratford Shoal in 2014.

  • He’s owned or cared for several lighthouses, including Borden Flats Light (MA) and Spectacle Reef Light (MI).

  • His plan was to restore Stratford Shoal and offer week-long overnight stays to the public.

  • He filed hundreds of pages of paperwork through the U.S. General Services Administration to take stewardship.

  • But there was a catch: the seabed under the lighthouse is owned by Connecticut, which required a lease.

  • When Connecticut learned about his plan for overnight stays, they viewed it as a commercial hotel use — not allowed under preservation rules.

  • That clashed with the federal stewardship agreement and created a regulatory standstill.

  • Nick stepped away from the project in 2022 after eight years of back-and-forth.

  • “Eight years into the process I figured it’s best not to pursue it,” he said.

  • Fun fact: despite holding stewardship, Nick hasn’t visited the lighthouse since 2015.

A Trophy Home With No Bathroom

  • Nick estimates the structure is worth around $350,000, but would require at least $500,000 in restoration to be usable.

  • Needs include:

    • Painting the lantern room

    • Installing new windows

    • Restoring hardwood floors

    • And yes — installing a bathroom (there currently isn’t one)

  • Lighthouse keepers once used bucket or chemical toilets — there has never been modern plumbing.

  • There are no utilities or septic systems, and transporting workers and supplies requires a boat.

  • Structurally, the building is in great shape, thanks to its Vinalhaven granite construction.

  • Nick now prefers lighthouses on land and says a buyer would need “deep pockets and a boat.”

Lighthouse Auction

  • The lighthouse went up for public auction online in 2023.

  • The Stratford Shoal Lighthouse online auction closed on September 13th, 2023.

  • It was awarded to the highest bidder, Mr. David S. Boyd.

  • The closing occurred on October 11, 2024.

  • Once purchased, the structure can be used however the owner sees fit — but state regulations and taxes still apply.

  • Leasing the underwater land from Connecticut would be necessary.

  • But technically, you could make it a private retreat, an artist studio, or the most inconvenient man cave in America.

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