The beauty, mystery and romance of lighthouses that have fascinated and enchanted people for centuries. The four stamp designs stamps celebrate five historic lighthouses: Montauk Point, NY; Navesink, NJ; Erie Harbor, PA; Harbor of Refuge, DE; and Thomas Point Shoal, MD.

Montauk Point and its sturdy old tower are the sources of much history and the scene of many marine disasters. The Indian name for Turtle Hill, upon which the lighthouse stands. is "Womponamon," an Algonquan word meaning "to the east" The proud Montauk tribe gave their name to the region and ruled the surrounding tribes. Their sachems called councils by lighting fires on Womponamon, and many of the tribesmen came to them in dugout canoes large enough to hold 18 paddles.

During the American Revolution. eastern Long Island and Montauk Point were occupied by the British. The Royal Navy kept a huge fire burning on the bluff overlooking the sea to serve as a beacon for the ships of the squadron that blockaded Long Island Sound. During the winter of l780-8l, a good part of the British fleet lay in Gardiner's Bay, including the H.M.S. "Royal Oak," flagship of Vice Admiral Arbuthnot, The British were keeping an eye on the French fleet, sent to aid the American colonies, then at anchor in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island.

On January 22, 1781, the British received a report that three ships of the French fleet had left Newport and were within range of the British fleet Vice Admiral Arbuthnot Sent three frigates in pursuit of the French: the 1,487-ton H.M.S. "Culloden." a 74-gun vessel, 161 feet long with a beam of 46 feet and a draft of 16 feet, sister ship of the "Royal Oak": the H.M.S. "Beford"; and the H.M.S. "America." A heavy northeast snowstorm sprang up and made pursuit impossible. The "Bedford" was dismasted. The "America" was lost for several days in the storm. And the "Culloden." despite the efforts of her skipper. Captain George Balfour, was blown onto S.kagwonggonac (Skagwong for short) Reef which ripped her hull open. Somehow. Captain Balfour managed to get his ship off the reef and sailed her, hole and all. into the smoother waters of Fort Pond Bay where she promptly sank off the eastern headland at the entrance. Apparently, the entire crew of 600 was rescued.
 
Built at Deptford, England in 1747. the "Culloden" had seen service in the battles of Minorca (1756). Gibraltar (1759). and elsewhere in 1762 and 1778. Her name came from the Battle of Culloden (1746) when the troops of Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") were defeated by the Duke of Cumberland's army. After she sank, her masts were salvaged and used by the "Bedfbtd" which had been towed into Fort Pond Bay after the storm has subsided. The "Bedford" was once again made seaworthy on March 9, 1781 and most everything of value had been salvaged from her, the "Culloden" was burned to the waterline The headland has ever since been known as Culloden Pointand At low tide, the ship's timbers are visible even today, making it an interesting spot for scuba divers to visit.

After the struggle for independence was over, the new American Government realized that if it was to exist' it would have to stimulate trade with other nations. In order to do this, it would have to eliminate some of the hazards along the coast and make the principal ports of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore more easily accessible to world commerce. Montauk Point was certainly one of the most dangerous areas on the new trans-Atlantic trade route. Records show that the rock-studded point projecting out into an often fog-ridden Atlantic Ocean took a heavy toll of shipping during the early years of settlement in the New World. A vehement group of shipmasters and owners protested that along the more than 100 miles of Long Island's southern, treacherous, Atlantic hammered shoreline there was no haven for vessels. A shipmaster who cleared Coney Island and headed east from New York Harbor had only six small. shallow inlets between him and Montauk Point. Wrecks of brigs, sloops, ketches, and schooners lay in the surf on Fire Island, on the long, exposed beaches at Quogue, Southampton, East Hampton, and on Montauk Point itself.
 
In 1792, to prevent this loss of ships and trade, Congress appropriated $255.12 to buy land upon which a lighthouse was to be built to warn passing mariners of the perilous rocks at Montauk Point' Three years later, President George Washington signed the authorization for the construction of the light.  A contract was awarded to New York bricklayer, John McComb, Jr. His bid of S22,300 was the lowest offer of the four bids that were received. Also in his favor was the fact that he had already built a successful lighthouse at Cape Henry, Virginia, in 1791.

Work on the light began almost immediately. Heavy blocks of sandstone were hauled to Montauk in horse drawn wagons. McComb ordered a 13 fl deep foundation dug into the crest of Turtle Hill. At its base, the lighthouse was to have a 28 ft diameter with walls nine feet thick. At the top of the 80 ft, octagonal tower, the walls were to be three feet thick. The contract also called for the construction of a two-story keeper's house and a vault for "nine strong Cedar Cisterns" which would store the necessary oil for the beacon. It should be noted that at this time in history, it was only possible to build lighthouses on land. It was not until 1878 with the construction of Race Rock Light near Fishers Island, New York and Minot's Ledge Light (1850-1860) near the southern entrance to Boston Harbor Pass, that the construction of wave swept lighthouses was possible. The construction or Race Rock Light presented a formidable challenge to engineers and it represents a major break-through and accomplishment in lighthouse building.
 
When Montauk Point Light was first lit in 1797, it burned whale oil. Whaling was a growing industry at the time. and for more than hair a century Montauk Point's lantern used fuel from the huge mammals. By the late 1850s, however. whales began to be scarce as ships ranged the globe in search of them. For a time. Montauk Point Light was forced to burn lard oil when whale oil was unavailable. With the discovery of petroleum came kerosene which was cheaper and easier to obtain than whale oil. In the 1860s. finally, the light was converted to a kerosene wick permanently.

Because of its location, Montauk Point Lighthouse stood as the symbol of the New World for almost a century. In 1886, it was upstaged by the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Lieutenant George M. Bache, U.S N., noted in his report of 1838: "(1t) is passed by all vessels approaching Long Island Sound from seaward, and is a good point of departure for those leaving the Sound."' Thus, Montauk Point Light has been the first welcoming beacon to the New World for travelers sailing from Europe to New York. With independence, the flow of immigrants from Europe to the United States increased, transatlantic trade boomed and New York became the preferred destination for ships carrying settlers or merchandise. Montauk Point Light, like the Statue of Liberty, symbolizes the United States emergence from a colonial enclave to an independent trading nation which opened its arms to the millions of Europeans who saw it as the promised land. Most recently, the light was the first welcoming beacon for the returning American hostages from Iran in 1981. The lighthouse sported a giant yellow ribbon wrapped around the deck beneath the lantern and was created by the officer-in-charge, BM1 Paul Driscoll, his family and crew members. On the ribbon was printed in large letters the greeting: WELCOME HOME.

Since 1797. then, Montauk Point Light has safely guided mariners around treacherous reefs and shoals which surround her jagged coast- line. Indian canoes, whaleboats, revenue cutters, and smuggler's ships (then as now) passed the lighthouse during the early days of operation. During the War of 1811, British men-of-war prowled beneath the reassuring beacon. Schooners, brigs, and all manner of sailing craft used the light as a guide.