k ▁Point ▁State ▁Park . ▁Entry ▁to ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁costs ▁$ 1 2 . 0 0 ▁for ▁an ▁adult , ▁$ 8 . 0 0 ▁for ▁sen iors ▁and ▁$ 4 . 0 0 ▁per ▁child . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Mont au k ▁Light ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁l ighth ouse ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁State , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁fourth - old est ▁active ▁l ighth ouse ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁tower ▁is ▁ 1 1 0 ' 6 " ▁high . ▁The ▁current ▁light , ▁installed ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁equivalent ▁to ▁approximately ▁ 2 9 0 , 0 0 0 ▁cand le ▁power , ▁flash es ▁every ▁ 5 ▁seconds ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁on ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁was ▁author ized ▁by ▁the ▁Second ▁United ▁States ▁Congress , ▁under ▁President ▁George ▁Washington ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 7 9 2 . ▁Ez ra ▁L ' Hom med ieu , ▁a ▁prominent ▁lawyer , ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁Congress , ▁and ▁a ▁man ▁with ▁scientific ▁interests , ▁consult ed ▁with ▁Washington ▁on ▁its ▁construction . ▁He ▁represented ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Com merce ▁on ▁discuss ions ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁l ighth ouse . ▁He ▁made ▁the ▁case ▁that ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁" was ▁first ▁among ▁American ▁ports ▁in ▁the ▁volume ▁of ▁its ▁foreign ▁commerce . ▁By ▁ 1 7 9 7 , ▁the ▁har bor ▁was ▁handling ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the