Orient Point Light stands in Plum Gut, the swift passage between the tip of Long Island and Plum Island, marking a hazardous stretch of water since 1899. Earlier efforts began with a daymarker in 1855 and a stone beacon installed in 1874, but construction was repeatedly hindered by hard rock, collision damage, and ice that destroyed the beacon in 1896. The present cast-iron sparkplug lighthouse was lit in 1899, later strengthened by a breakwall and foundation enlargement. Though automation came in 1954, the structure faced deterioration and possible demolition before repairs preserved it. In 2013 it passed into private ownership while ongoing base problems remained.