▁nation ' s ▁trade ▁with ▁other ▁countries ." ▁Due ▁to ▁prev ail ing ▁wind s ▁in ▁winter , ▁sh ipp ers ▁approaching ▁from ▁sea ▁needed ▁a ▁l ighth ouse ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁Long ▁Island ▁to ▁guide ▁them ▁along ▁the ▁south ▁side ▁into ▁New ▁York ▁har bor . ▁ ▁L ' Hom med ieu ▁chose ▁the ▁site ▁for ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁and ▁designed ▁it . ▁The ▁project ▁began ▁on ▁June ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 7 9 6 , ▁and ▁was ▁completed ▁on ▁November ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 7 9 6 , ▁the ▁first ▁public ▁works ▁project ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁America . ▁S omet ime ▁in ▁early ▁April ▁ 1 7 9 7 , ▁ke eper ▁Jacob ▁Hand ▁lit ▁the ▁w icks ▁in ▁the ▁l amps ▁in ▁the ▁tower , ▁and ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁began ▁operation . ▁It ▁continued ▁under ▁civil ian ▁keep ers ▁until ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁when ▁the ▁US ▁Army ▁took ▁it ▁over . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁station ▁under w ent ▁a ▁massive ▁renov ation ▁when ▁two ▁new ▁levels ▁and ▁a ▁larger ▁lan tern ▁were ▁added . ▁This ▁increased ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁tower ▁from ▁its ▁original ▁ 8 0 ▁feet ▁( 1 7 9 6 ) ▁to ▁its ▁current ▁height ▁of ▁ 1 1 0 ' ▁ 6 ". ▁A ▁first - order ▁F res nel ▁l ens — 1 2 ▁foot ▁high , ▁ 6 ▁feet ▁in ▁diameter , ▁and ▁we igh ing ▁about