Brenton Reef Light

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Brenton Reef Light
Brenton Reef Light Vessel, from the Lighthouses series (N119) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco MET DPB873704.jpg
Brenton Reef Light
Location Washington County, US
Coordinates 41°25′35″N71°23′22″W / 41.4264°N 71.3894°W / 41.4264; -71.3894
Tower
Foundationsteel tower
Height87 ft (27 m)  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Shapesquare platform with tower at one corner
Light
First lit1962  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Deactivated1989  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
LensCrouse Hinds DCE-36 airways beacon
Range22 nmi (41 km; 25 mi)  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Characteristic Texel light.gif Fl(2) W 10s  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Brenton Reef Light was a Texas tower lighthouse at the entrance to Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, United States, south of Beavertail Point. Erected to replace a lightship in 1962, it was decommissioned in 1989 due to its deteriorating condition.

Contents

History

Brenton Reef Light Vessel, circa 1889 Brenton Reef Light Vessel, from the Lighthouses series (N119) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco MET DPB873704.jpg
Brenton Reef Light Vessel, circa 1889

This offshore station was marked by a succession of lightships beginning in 1853, with new vessels being assigned to the station in 1856, 1897, and 1935. In the early 1960s the United States Coast Guard initiated a program to replace these lightships with large steel towers, commonly known as Texas towers. Brenton Reef was selected for such replacement, but a somewhat smaller facility was constructed instead. This light was originally a manned station, with living quarters and galley, as well as engine room to supply power to the light and living quarters. It was connected to the Beavertail Light by submarine cables and maintained by Coast Guardsmen out of the Newport, Rhode Island station, and was converted to fully automatic operation during its active lifetime. At its activation in 1962, it became the second such light tower on the east coast.

These towers deteriorated relatively quickly, and in 1983 the Coast Guard first suggested decommissioning it. It was retained, however, due to the proximity of the America's Cup races. In 1989 the Coast Guard announced that the light was to be removed, and in 1992 it was dismantled. The following year the pieces were sunk off Long Island as part of an artificial reef. A lighted buoy replaced the tower at a position somewhat further south, where it remains at present.

Keepers

[1]

Lightship LV-14 (1853–1856)

KeeperYears
David C. Champlin1853
John Heath1853–1854
Edward E. Taylor1854
Samuel Dunn1854
Josiah K. Pitman1854–1861

Lightship LV-11 (1856–1897)

KeeperYears
Josiah K. Pitman1854–1861
Joseph Sherman1861–1865
George Bardick1865
Charles D. Marsh1865–1866
George Williams1866–1868
Clarke Bardick1868–1871
Charles D. Marsh1871–1886
David H. Caulkins1886–1888
Edward Fogarty1888–1898

Lightship LV-39 (1897–1935)

LV-39 Light ship LCCN2014684037.jpg
LV-39
KeeperYears
Edward Fogarty1888–1898
Charles A. Hawkins1898–1917
Karl M. Larsen1917–1919
Fred J. Worth1919
Martin Berg1919–1922
Harold White1922–1923
Theodor Anderson1923–1927
Charles Steijen1927
Theodor Anderson1927
John B. Kelly1927
Frederic Sundloff1927–1929
August E. Gustafson1929-?
Unknown1929–1939

Lightship LV-102/WAL 525 (1945–1962)

KeeperYears
Unknown1929–1939
Norman Gray, Master1939–?
Unknown ?–1961
Edward Godlewski1961–1963

Lighthouse (1962–1989)

KeeperYears
Edward Godlewski1961–1963
Unknown1963–1989

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References

  1. "Brenton Reef Lightship Keepers". rhodeislandlighthousehistory.info. Retrieved 2015-08-29.