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Restoration efforts have begun at the historic Hudson-Athens Lighthouse after a tugboat accident last week. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday (April 29), involved a barge pushed by the tugboat Erin Elizabeth, owned by Coeymans-based Carver Companies. The collision damaged the lighthouse's dock and staircase, halting ongoing roof repairs.
The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, located between Greene and Columbia counties, is managed by the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. According to Times Union, the preservation society reported the damage to the Greene County Sheriff's Department, which then contacted the U.S. Coast Guard.
The tugboat's captain has been suspended pending an investigation, and weather conditions are being considered as a possible factor in the crash. Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky compared the incident to a hit-and-run and mentioned that criminal charges could be filed.
Carver Companies is working with the preservation society to install a temporary dock and repair the staircase. Fortunately, the lighthouse's main structure remains undamaged. Scuba divers are scheduled to inspect the underwater portions of the lighthouse to ensure no further damage has occurred.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had previously approved preservation work on the lighthouse due to concerns about its stability. Built in the 1870s, the lighthouse is at risk of collapsing into the river because modern ships have displaced sediment that once protected its foundation.