Under the George Washington Bridge

A bright red lighthouse reaching just 40 feet high sits in the shadow of the great gray bridge.

 Eleven years after the completion of the George Washington Bridge Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward wrote the story of "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge." It tells the story from the perspective of the little red lighthouse while the bridge is being built above. 

Every September the little red lighthouse festival takes place. Different guest readers come and read the story of the little red lighthouse and the great gray bridge to children of all ages. The festival is attended by thousands of families. Music, lighthouse tours, and arts and crafts activities are done along the Hudson River Shores. 

However, the festival not only celebrates the lighthouse but the beginning of New York's Parks and Recreations. In 1951 the city of New York proposed the dismantling of the lighthouse, which resulted in a large public outcry. The outrage, which was largely attributed to the popularity of the book lead to the preservation of the lighthouse by the City of New York and it became a New York City Landmark. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.