Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "Sandy Hook Lighthouse, NJ" Signed lower left. Oil on Canvas. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 25c Sandy Hook stamp issued April 26, 1990. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest maritime light tower still in use in the United States. Built by the British, the beacon was lighted for the first time on June 11, 1764. Though it was originally called the "New York Lighthouse," the tower stands on the New Jersey side of Lower New York Bay. Upon its completion, Sandy Hook Lighthouse was described as a "house of an octagon figure, having eight equal sides; the diameter at the base, twenty-nine feet; and at the top of the wall, fifteen feet. The lantern is seven feet high; the circumference, fifteen feet. The whole construction of the lantern is iron; the top covered with copper. There are forty-eight oil blazes. The building from the surface is nine stories; the whole from bottom to top, one hundred and three feet." After the revolutionary war, Sandy Hook Lighthouse was ceded to the infant United States by the state of New Jersey, and the new government agreed to maintain the beacon thereafter. One of George Washington's first acts as President was to direct that a light be kept burning permanently at Sandy Hook. Over ten thousand dollars was raised for its maintenance between 1804 and 1817, and by 1832 there were two lighthouses lighting Sandy Hook, one to the north and one to the west. Today, one beacon remains, and will hopefully survive for many years through the efforts of the federal government and the lighthouse preservation movement. Image Size: 13.5 x 12 in. Overall Size: 15.5 x 14 in. Unframed. (B12314)