Local preservationists warn that the 150-year-old Stepping Stones Lighthouse off Kings Point is in danger of being lost to decay.

Time and the elements have taken a toll on the lighthouse, but preservationists say it's also a victim of "demolition by neglect."

"It's tough to stand by and watch something fall apart when it doesn't need to," says Bob Fuller, of the U.S. Lighthouse Society of Long Island.

For Fuller and other local preservationists, the decaying Stepping Stones Lighthouse is a heartbreaking sight.

The 150-year-old beacon is missing red bricks and has a torn fence, broken door and cracks in the stone foundation.

An unfinished dock makes it impossible to safely access the structure.

"We're desperate to get the town motivated to get started, finish the dock they started and then stabilize the structure," says Robert Lincoln, of the Great Neck Historical Society.

As part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the Town of North Hempstead took ownership of the lighthouse in 2008.

Preservationists say town officials have taken little action to restore it in the 14 years since.

"They wrote a very detailed application to take it over. It was used for a few photo ops, locked the door, walked away," says Pam Setchell, of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society.

"Within preservation, there's a concept called 'demolition by neglect.' If you don't maintain something or at least stabilize it, it will get worse," Fuller says.

"Any delay that there's been over the past years, let's put that behind us," says Town of North Hempstead Council Member Veronica Lurvey. She explains that the delays were due to changes in administration and COVID.

Lurvey, who took office four years ago, says she's committed to revitalizing the lighthouse.

"I would like to move with the town board as soon as possible to rebid the contract for that dock so that come spring we are ready to go," she says.

The preservationist say if restoration work doesn't happen soon, this historic treasure may be lost forever.

"This is a beautiful historic site. There's no excuse to let it go," Setchell says.

The Great Neck Historical Society says they're seeking federal and state grants to help pay for the restoration.

In 2012, the National Park Service threatened to take Stepping Stones Lighthouse back because the town failed to maintain it. Preservation experts say giving the lighthouse back would result in more delays in restoration work.