North Dumpling Island
{{short description|Island in Fishers Island Sound, New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox islands
| name = North Dumpling Island
| image_name = File:2022 North Dumpling Island.jpg
| image_caption = (2022)
| image_size = 300px
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| location = Fishers Island Sound, Southold, New York
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-lat=41.29|frame-long=-72.02|zoom=8|type=point|coord={{coord|41|17|17|N|72|01|08|W}}}}
| coordinates = {{coord|41|17|17|N|72|01|08|W|region:US-NY_type:isle|display=inline,title}}
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| country = United States
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North Dumpling Island is a {{cvt|2|acre|m2|spell=in|adj=on}} island in Fishers Island Sound of Long Island Sound, {{cvt|1|mi|spell=in}} off the coast of Connecticut, south of Groton, within the territory of the town of Southold on Long Island in New York State. The island is about {{cvt|0.3|nmi|m}} north of South Dumpling Island, and is home to the North Dumpling Light, which dates from 1859.{{citation |title=Fisher's Island Sound |author=National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration |date=April 2006 |edition=28th}} Graphic The island is privately owned by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway.
History
{{see also|North Dumpling Light}}
In 1639, John Winthrop, son of the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, bought Fishers Island and the small islets around it, including those called "The Dumplings". Ownership of the islands, including North Dumpling, remained with the Winthrop family until 1847, when it was sold to the federal government for $600 {{USDCY|600|1847}} to be the site of a lighthouse. The lighthouse and the keeper's dwelling were built and the light illuminated in 1859, and then rebuilt in 1871 with a taller tower. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1959, being replaced by an automated light on a skeleton tower, and the grounds and lighthouse were sold to a private party, George Washburn. The island was purchased in 1977 by David Levitt, president of the Doughnut Corporation of America, who remodeled and expanded the house. Levitt convinced the Coast Guard to move the light back to the stone tower and to remove the skeleton tower. Levitt added sculptures to the island, including Temple of the Four Winds, the Moon Rock, and Meditation Rock. In 1986, Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and founder of FIRST, purchased the island for {{Currency|2500000|US}}[http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=740 "North Dumpling Lighthouse"] Lighthousefriends.com {{USDCY|2500000|1986}}.
After a denial from local officials to build his own wind turbine on the island, Kamen "seceded" from the United States.{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Ravo |title=From L.I. Sound, A New Nation Asserts Itself |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2DC123AF931A15757C0A96E948260 |work=New York Times |access-date=January 27, 2009 |date=April 22, 1988}} Although Kamen's secession is not legally recognized, he still refers to the island as the "Kingdom of North Dumpling" and has established a constitution, a flag, a currency (the dumpling),{{Cite web |url=https://static.nbclearn.com/files/nbcarchives/site/pdf/71170.pdf |title=Dean Kamen's "Independent" North Dumpling Island |last=Utley |first=Garrick |date=July 3, 1998 |website=NBC Learn |access-date=April 4, 2018 |archive-date=April 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404073654/https://static.nbclearn.com/files/nbcarchives/site/pdf/71170.pdf |url-status=dead}} a national anthem, which is a parody of the song "America the Beautiful" written by Paul Lazarus, and a navy consisting of a single amphibious vehicle. The people of North Dumpling are called "Dumplonians",{{cite news |url=http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/11/22/20081122greennation-ON.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715102550/http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/11/22/20081122greennation-ON.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 15, 2014 |title=Segway inventor touts island as green 'nation' |first=John |last=Christoffersen |publisher=AZCentral.com |date=November 22, 2008 |location=Mystic}} and Kamen is said to refer to himself as "Lord Dumpling" or "Lord Dumpling II".
Despite still being a part of the United States, Kamen claimed he was able to leverage his personal relationship with then-president George H. W. Bush to sign an unofficial non-aggression pact.{{cite web |title=Welcome to secret island of an eccentric genius |author=Inbar, Michael |date=October 21, 2010|access-date=June 15, 2021 |url=https://www.today.com/news/welcome-secret-island-eccentric-genius-wbna39775733 |publisher=Today}}{{cite book |title=The Code of the Extraordinary Mind |author=Lakhiani, Vishen |publisher=Rodale |date=December 31, 2019 |page=37 |isbn=978-0593135822}}
Kamen was eventually able to build his turbine, and the island's electrical system was later converted to a combination of wind and solar power with the help of Fritz Morgan, Chief Technology Officer of Philips Color Kinetics, operating independently of the regional electrical grid. This was accomplished by replacing all lighting on the island with LEDs, which resulted in a 70% reduction of in-house energy consumption.{{cite news |first=Eric A. |last=Taub |title=LEDs to the Rescue? Not So Fast |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/leds-to-the-rescue-not-so-fast/?em |work=New York Times |date=January 26, 2009 |access-date=January 27, 2009}}{{cite news |first=Eric A. |last=Taub |title=Dean Kamen's 'LED Nation' |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/dean-kamens-led-nation |work=New York Times |date=December 8, 2008 |access-date=January 27, 2009}} Kamen says that the island is carbon neutral due to solar panels on every building, a 10 kW wind turbine, and a "little" Stirling engine for backup power.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jul/22/dean-kamen-interview |title=Segway Inventor on future technology |first=Mark |last=Harris |work=The Guardian |date=July 22, 2009 |access-date=September 18, 2009 |location=London}}
In addition to North Dumpling Lighthouse, the island features a replica of Stonehenge.{{cite news |title=How Dean Kamen's Magical Water Machine Could Save the World |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/dean-kamen-1208 |work=Esquire |access-date=January 27, 2009}}
Gallery
File:Lord Dumpling's Island, with his own private Stonehenge.jpg|North Dumpling Island's Stonehenge
File:Bell Tower, Elevation-Section-Plan - NARA - 86453856.jpg|Department of Commerce. Bureau of Lighthouses. (Date: 1913 — July 1, 1939)
File:Northdumpling.JPG|North Dumpling Lighthouse - off Fisher's Island - Long Island Sound (Date: unknown)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{stack|{{commons category|North Dumpling Island}}}}
- [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=north+dumpling+island&sll=41.275404,-71.976349&sspn=0.012821,0.018754&ie=UTF8&ll=41.287989,-72.019026&spn=0.001602,0.002344&t=h&z=19&om=1 Google Maps satellite image]
{{Micronations|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Islands of Suffolk County, New York