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The Lady Lighthouse Keeper is a captivating story of one woman’s dedication and courage to keep Horton Point Lighthouse’s beacon shining on the shore of Long Island Sound in the late 1800s. Stella Prince, 1867 -1927, was the only woman to serve as a keeper at the lighthouse. Mary Korpi, the author and a docent at Horton Point, discovered that Stella’s story had not been told. Mary delved into original source materials and pieced together the life of an extraordinary woman who lived at the lighthouse longer than anyone ever has – 34 of her 60 years. Stella’s dedication to the important work of keeping the beacon lit is inspiring even today as she struggled against the social norms of her time and her father’s propensity for the local brew, which ultimately led to his being fired. Amazingly, Stella stayed on at the lighthouse to assist her father’s replacement, eventually gaining official status as the Acting Assistant Keeper. Stella continued her work at the lighthouse until she married in October 1904.
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A keepers journal kept by Stella Prince between 1900-1910 at the Southold Historical Society on Friday, March 10, 2023
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In February 2023, Stella finally was credited for her service as the Acting Assistant Keeper and took her rightful place in history – 120 years after she served. Mary Korpi gathered the required documentation that allowed the Coast Guard historian to add Stella to the official list of women lighthouse keepers. Stella served from June 1903 through November 1904, when she resigned to marry.
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After retiring from a 40+ year career working with people with special needs, Mary Korpi relocated to the North Fork of Long Island. On a mission to get involved and meet local people, Mary began volunteering as a docent at Horton Point Lighthouse in Southold. She was intrigued to learn that one woman, Stella Prince, served as a keeper. Seeking to learn more about Stella’s life, Mary read everything she could find about women lighthouse keepers only to discover that history had overlooked Stella. Stella was not included in any published works about women lighthouse keepers. Mary delved into original source materials such as local newspaper clippings and obituaries through the Southold Historical Museum, local librarians, and the Suffolk County Museum library. The factual information she gathered became the narrated PowerPoint available at https://www.
The book is available as an e-book or paperback on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Riverhead; Jamesport Country Store; North Fork Chocolates; Burton’s Books, Greenport; A Book Place, Riverhead; Southold Historical Museum, Prince Building; Fire Island Lighthouse; Pensacola Lighthouse and, of course, at Horton Point Lighthouse.
Most recently, the U.S. Lighthouse Society did a podcast about Horton Point, including information about The Lady Lighthouse Keeper. https://uslhs.org/
podcast/light-hearted-episode- 277-horton-point-ny-and-lady- lighthouse-keeper
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Photo © Anthony Lombardo.
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Visit: AAQ / Landmark — Horton Point Lighthouse, Southold — link
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AAQ / Resource: Townsend Manor Inn
Old Fashioned Hospitality
AAQ / Resource: Kolb | Heating + Cooling
North Fork | South Fork | Shelter Island
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