ATHENS―“When a barge collided with the historic Hudson-Athens Lighthouse last week, damaging its stairway and access dock, the future of a long-planned restoration project hung in the balance,” explained Van Calhoun, Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society (HALPS) board member and chair of its Restoration Committee.
On Friday, Calhoun shared an update on the 151-year-old navigational landmark that on April 29 was struck by a barge towed by a Carver Companies tugboat. The damage was extensive.
“But within hours, phone calls were being made—not just out of obligation, but also from the heart,” Calhoun said.
According to Calhoun, Keith Flinton of KTF Dock Worx “felt a chill when he heard the news.”
“His father, decades ago, had built and provided the original dock to the lighthouse,” Calhoun explained.
Flinton immediately contacted HALPS and offered to donate a temporary replacement dock—free of charge—in honor of his father’s legacy, Calhoun said.
“Earlier this week Carver Companies hauled the wrecked dock, which they had retrieved from the Hudson River last Friday to Keith, as a pattern for assembling the temporary dock he is configuring at his shop,” he continued.
It arrived in Hudson on Thursday “where a dedicated team—comprised of KTF Dock Worx, Hudson Power Boat Association, AG Construction, and HALPS—will assemble and float it to the lighthouse. Once secured, it will restore critical access to the structure so preservation work can continue,” Calhoun said.
“Divers have also completed an underwater inspection to assess foundation damage, and temporary stairs will be installed by Monday to ensure roof repairs—delayed only by rain—can proceed,” he noted.
News of the lighthouse being hit was made public on April 30 by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, who at the time was investigating what they described as a hit and run.
A day later, the sheriff’s office had identified the vessel that struck the lighthouse late on the night of April 29 and kept going.
Carver Companies has since reported that the captain of the tugboat was suspended pending investigation.
Renovations had already been underway as part of an effort to save the maritime treasure from crumbling into the Hudson River.
Due to deteriorating wooden pilings beneath the lighthouse, engineering reports have forecasted that it will collapse within three years. Last year the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the lighthouse among the nation’s 11 most endangered historic places.
This past December, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that the US Army Corps of Engineers had selected the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse for its protection program, starting with $50,000 for a feasibility study to “assess appropriate next steps to restore the lighthouse’s base, which will open up continued federal investment for the restoration project,” according to Schumer’s office.
HALPS has launched a capital campaign to raise what is expected to be more than $7 million for protective measures to preserve the lighthouse for the next 100-plus years.
Constructed between 1872 and 1873, the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse was manned until the 1950s when it became automated. In 1979, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the lighthouse continues to serve as a navigation aid, safely guiding vessels around Middle Ground Flats.
\"This isn’t just a project—it’s a living story of care, community, and continuity,” said Calhoun. “Thanks to Keith, and everyone pitching in, we’re still on course.”