Hell Gate Lighthouse, 1931. Constructed at the entrance to hazardous Hell Gate Passage between New York City's East River and western Long Island Sound, this small pyramidal lighthouse was lit in 1888. The wooden structure replaced a metal one that had been erected four years earlier and was darkened after only two years. That initial structure was 255-feet-tall and included an electric light that was described by the New York Times as "the most powerful light that has ever been put in a lighthouse." It should be noted, this beam was not a beacon to distant ships, but a giant electrical floodlight. It was decommissioned because shippers complained it was too bright and more of a distraction than a help. A 1931 article in the Times mentions that the Hell Gate Lighthouse was being modernized. It is unclear if the wooden pyramid was demolished at that time or a later date. Today, the light is mounted on one of the outfield light stands of Whitey Ford Field, a city-operated baseball diamond.

Twin wood-frame houses on Orchard Street (now 26th Avenue), October 9, 1935. The houses appear on maps of Hallett’s Point as early as 1903, and may date to the late 1890s. (No. 3-10 is at left, 3-08 at right.)

From mansions to tenements, when it comes to housing, New York has it all. This New York Public Library collection examines housing in New York since the mid-19th century, with a particular focus on vernacular and wood-frame structures across the five boroughs.