As steamship traffic along New York’s Hudson River increased during the mid 1800’s, ship captains petitioned for navigational aids to mark a shoal area along the eastern shore in Westchester County. This eventually, after a period of time, led to the construction of the Tarrytown Lighthouse. Until the construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge rendered the lighthouse obsolete, the beacon served as a home to lighthouse families, a witness to lifesaving heroics and hope to mariners caught in bad weather.