5 ▁million ▁cand ela . ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁was ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Coast al ▁Def ense ▁Sh ield . ▁The ▁last ▁three ▁civil ian ▁keep ers — Th omas ▁Buck ridge , ▁Jack ▁Miller , ▁and ▁George ▁W arr ington — de part ed ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁Ad j acent ▁to ▁the ▁l ighth ouse , ▁Camp ▁Hero , ▁opened ▁by ▁the ▁Army ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁had ▁two ▁ 1 6 ▁in ch ▁gun ▁batter ies ▁of ▁two ▁guns ▁each , ▁and ▁a ▁battery ▁of ▁two ▁six - inch ▁guns . ▁The ▁cas em ates , ▁gun ▁emp lac ements ▁and ▁concrete ▁fire ▁control ▁to wers ▁( which ▁are ▁also ▁at ▁nearby ▁Sh ad mo or ▁State ▁Park ) ▁are ▁still ▁visible . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁took ▁over ▁maintenance ▁of ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁and ▁operated ▁it ▁until ▁the ▁station ▁was ▁autom ated ▁on ▁February ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁In ▁May ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁museum ▁opened ▁to ▁the ▁public , ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁Mont au k ▁Historical ▁Society . ▁It ▁le ased ▁the ▁property ▁from ▁the ▁US ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁for ▁that ▁purpose . ▁On ▁September ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁President ▁Bill ▁Cl inton ▁signed ▁legisl ation ▁transfer ring ▁the ▁l