The Montauk Historical Society (MHS) has announced receipt of a grant of $390,700 from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation for the restoration of the iconic 225-year-old sandstone and brick Montauk Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse, commissioned in 1792 by President George Washington, was built in 1796 and has served as an aid to navigation ever since.  Citing high maintenance costs, the U. S. Coast Guard considered abandoning the historic structure and replacing it with a skeletal tower and light.  Instead, they agreed to sell it to the Montauk Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  The Coast Guard still maintains the beacon, visible over 19 nautical miles, but care of the grounds, and maintenance and repair of the buildings, are the sole responsibility of MHS.