The Esopus Lighthouse was built to warn captains of the shallow water, or flats, to the west. The present lighthouse was constructed in 1871 and closed in 1965, when automated lights replaced the lightkeeper. Lighthouse Park was created by Scenic Hudson, a Poughkeepsie nonprofit environmental group dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Hudson River, through cooperation with the Town of Esopus, the Esopus Lighthouse Conservancy, and assistance from The Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Fund for the Hudson Highlands, Hudson River Improvement Fund, and Countryside Magazine.