A treasured 19th-century lighthouse in Sleepy Hollow, New York—known as the Tarrytown Lighthouse—was badly damaged by arson and vandalism just one year after a $3.4 million restoration.

On May 31, 2025, intruders broke into the lighthouse overnight, smashed windows, burned furniture, and set a fire that severely damaged the interior. Antique furnishings, historic books, and original flooring were lost.

The Tarrytown Lighthouse suffered immense damage on May 31, which could cost over $100,000, according to Westchester County. The lighthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is situated just offshore of Sleepy Hollow, a village of more than 11,400 residents, in the Kingsland Point Park area.

Video footage from the night leading to May 31 showed four people on a bridge that leads to the lighthouse and later exiting the building, authorities said. No arrests have been made.

“So right now, we’re going with the assumption that entry was made into the lighthouse through that broken window,” Westchester Department of Public Safety Terrance Raynor told reporters at a news conference on June 3. “We do hope that the public will, at some point, be able to help us identify the individuals that we see in the video.”

Raynor said that even if the four people did not commit the vandalism and arson, they were at least trespassing. He also noted that fingerprints were found on the lighthouse door and are being processed.