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It’s taken years of research and work to patch, paint and restore the Montauk Lighthouse. (Photo credit: David Benthal)
Truth: I hadn’t been to the Montauk Lighthouse since a fifth grade field trip a million years ago. When I arrived there last spring on a particularly gusty day to talk with lighthouse keeper Joe Gaviola and in-house erosion speciality Greg Donohue (both thoroughly fascinating humans in their own right), I was — literally and figuratively — blown away.
Lighthouse keeper Joe Gaviola. (Photo credit: David Benthal)
Donohue was my first interview, and before we went inside to chat he had me stand, or try to, in the face of the gales that were blowing that day. It’s a physical experience that makes you understand the raw, humbling effects of Mother Nature on The End, and why the $30 million project was nothing less than vital.
Greg Donohue, Montauk Historical Society erosion specialist. (Photo credit: David Benthal)
I loved writing this story because I got to see the incredible heart and passion that the Montauk Historical Society uses to fuel their work as the keepers of the George Washington commissioned beacon, and the land and other buildings that surround it, at what can feel like the end of the world.
Amy Zavatto is the Editor-in-Chief for southforker, northforker and Long Island Wine Press. She's a wine, spirits, and food journalist whose work appears in Wine Enthusiast, InsideHook.com, MarthaStewart.com, the New York Post, Liquor.com, SevenFifty Daily, Imbibe, Men’s Journal and many others. She's the author of The Big Book of Bourbon Cocktails, Prosecco Made Me Do It: 60 Seriously Sparkling Cocktails, Forager’s Cocktails: Botanical Mixology with Fresh, Natural Ingredients, and The Architecture of the Cocktail. She is a respected judge for the American Craft Spirits Association’s annual small-production spirits competition, and has moderated numerous panels on the topics of wine, spirits, cocktails, and regional foodways. She is the former Deputy Editor for the regional celebratory publications, Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn, as well as the former Executive Director of the Long Island Merlot Alliance. She is a member of the New York chapter of the international organization of women leaders in food, wine, and spirits, Les Dames d’Escoffier. The proud daughter of a butcher, Amy is originally from Shelter Island, N.Y., where she developed a deep respect for the East End’s natural beauty and the importance of preserving and celebrating it and its people.
