Rose Island Light

Last updated

Rose Island Light
Rose Island Lighthouse viewed from Rose Island 2006.jpg
Rose Island Light
Location Newport, Rhode Island
Coordinates 41°29′43.68″N71°20′33.78″W / 41.4954667°N 71.3427167°W / 41.4954667; -71.3427167
Tower
Constructed1870  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
FoundationMasonry
ConstructionWood
Height35 feet (11 m)
ShapeOctagonal
MarkingsWhite tower on dwelling
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Fog signal none
Light
First lit1993  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Deactivated1971-1992
Focal height48 feet (15 m)
Lens6th order Fresnel lens, 1870
Characteristic Flashing white, 6 seconds
Rose Island Lighthouse
Rose Island Light in 1905 in Rhode Island.jpg
1905 postcard
Part of Fort Hamilton Historic District (ID01001158)
MPS Lighthouses of Rhode Island TR
NRHP reference No. 87000033 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 10, 1987
Designated CPOctober 22, 2001

The Rose Island Light, built in 1870, is on Rose Island in Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island in the United States. [2] [3] [4] It is preserved, maintained and operated by The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation.

Contents

One of a group of New England lighthouses built to an award-winning design by Vermont architect Albert Dow, [4] Rose Island Light has sisters at Sabin Point, Pomham Rocks, Esopus Meadows Light and Colchester Reef. The lighthouse stands atop a bastion of Fort Hamilton, which was built in 1798-1800.

Detail of the Rose Island Light Fresnel lens. Rose Island Light Fresnal Lens.jpg
Detail of the Rose Island Light Fresnel lens.

The building was abandoned as a functioning lighthouse in 1970, when the Newport Bridge was constructed nearby. In 1984, the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation was founded to restore the dilapidated light on behalf of the City of Newport, which had received it for free from the United States government. [5] In 1987, the federal government listed the lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1992 it was relit as a private aid to navigation. [2] [3]

The lighthouse is today a travel destination, reached only by boat. For a fee to the Foundation, visitors can spend a night as a guest or a week as the "lighthouse keeper," completing many of the chores required to keep the lighthouse in good condition.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Compton, Rhode Island</span> Town in Rhode Island, United States

Little Compton is a coastal town in Newport County, Rhode Island, bounded on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by the Sakonnet River, on the north by the town of Tiverton, and on the east by the town of Westport, Massachusetts. The population was 3,616 as at 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Block Island Southeast Light</span> Lighthouse in Rhode Island, United States

Block Island Southeast Light is a lighthouse located on Mohegan Bluffs at the southeastern corner of Block Island, Rhode Island. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1997 as one of the most architecturally sophisticated lighthouses built in the United States in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Judith Light</span> Lighthouse in Rhode Island, United States

Point Judith Light is located on the west side of the entrance to Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island as well as the north side of the eastern entrance to Block Island Sound. The confluence of two waterways make this area busy with water traffic and the waters around Point Judith are very cold and dangerous. Historically, even with active lighthouses, there have been many shipwrecks off these coasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esopus Meadows Light</span> Lighthouse

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, nicknamed "Maid of the Meadows" and often simply referred to as the Esopus Light or Middle Hudson River Light is an active lighthouse on the Hudson River near Esopus, New York. The lighthouse stands on the west side of the channel, in the river, its granite foundation built atop piles that have been driven into the riverbed, and is accessible only by boat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newport Harbor Light</span> Lighthouse

The Newport Harbor Light, also known as the Goat Island Light or Green Light, built in 1842, is located on north end of Goat Island, which is part of the city of Newport, Rhode Island, United States, in Narragansett Bay. The light was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beavertail Lighthouse</span> United States historic place

Beavertail Lighthouse was built in 1856 and is the premier lighthouse in Rhode Island, marking the entrance to Narragansett Bay. The 64-foot (20 m) lighthouse lies on the southernmost point of Conanicut Island in the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island in Beavertail State Park, on a site where beacons have stood since the early 18th century. The light provides navigation for boats and ships entering Narragansett Bay in the East Passage between Conanicut Island and Newport, Rhode Island on Aquidneck Island. Other lighthouses are visible from Beavertail Lighthouse, such as Castle Hill Lighthouse, Point Judith Light, and Rose Island Light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Hill Light</span> Lighthouse

Castle Hill Lighthouse is located on Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island at the end of the historic Ocean Drive. It is an active navigation aid for vessels entering the East Passage, between Conanicut Island and Aquidneck Island. The lighthouse has become a symbol of Newport, and a frequent site for wedding photos, proposals, and tourist photos. Although the property is owned by the nearby Castle Hill Inn, the lighthouse is owned by the United States Coast Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prudence Island Light</span> Lighthouse

The Prudence Island Lighthouse, more commonly known locally as the Sandy Point Lighthouse, is located on Prudence Island, Rhode Island and is the oldest lighthouse tower in the state. Sandy Point is nicknamed Chibacoweda, meaning "little place separated by a passage", because the location is a little more than one mile offshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Island (Rhode Island)</span> Island in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA

Rose Island is an 18.5-acre (7.5 ha) island in Narragansett Bay off Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It is allegedly named "Rose Island" because at low tide the island appears to be shaped like a rose. The Island is only accessible by boat. The island and its lighthouse are run by the private, non-profit Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pomham Rocks Light</span> Lighthouse

Pomham Rocks Light is a historic lighthouse in the Providence River about 200 yards (180 m) off the shoreline of the Riverside neighborhood of the city of East Providence, Rhode Island. It is the northernmost lighthouse in Narragansett Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hog Island Shoal Light</span> Lighthouse

Hog Island Shoal Light, built in 1901, is a sparkplug lighthouse on a shoal off of Hog Island, Rhode Island. It is located about 600 feet (180 m) southeast of the island, at the entrance to Mount Hope Bay. It stands on a circular concrete foundation set in about 10 feet (3.0 m) of water, and rising about 6 feet (1.8 m) above the water line. It was built to replace a light ship, and was the last light station formally established in the state. The lighthouse was automated in 1964. In 1988 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006 the lighthouse was auctioned by the GSA as government surplus to a private buyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Hamilton Historic District</span> Historic district in Rhode Island, United States

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conanicut Island Light</span> United States historic place

Conanicut Island Light, built in 1886, is an inactive lighthouse in Jamestown, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sakonnet Light</span> Lighthouse

Sakonnet Light, built in 1884, is a sparkplug lighthouse near Sakonnet Point, Little Compton, Rhode Island, on the eastern side of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plum Beach Light</span> Lighthouse

Plum Beach Light (Lighthouse), built in 1899, is a sparkplug lighthouse in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poplar Point Light</span> Lighthouse

Poplar Point Light (Lighthouse), built in 1831, is an historic lighthouse in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. It stands at the end of Poplar Point, marking the southern point of Wickford Harbor. The lighthouse was built in 1831 with a stone keeper's dwelling and wooden tower. The light was deactivated in 1882 and replaced by the Wickford Harbor Light. It was sold at auction in 1894 and has been altered by later owners. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The tower is the oldest surviving wooden lighthouse tower in the United States, and the oldest in Rhode Island still standing at its original location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick Light</span> Lighthouse

Warwick Light, also known as Warwick Lighthouse, is an historic lighthouse in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch Island Light</span> Lighthouse

Dutch Island Light is a historic lighthouse on Dutch Island off Jamestown, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarpaulin Cove Light</span> Lighthouse

The Tarpaulin Cove Light is a historic lighthouse on Naushon Island, one of the Elizabeth Islands of southern Massachusetts. It is located in the town of Gosnold, Massachusetts. Built on the site of a light station first established privately in the 18th century, the current tower dates from 1891. A keeper's house built at the same time has not survived. The light is 78 feet (24 m) above Mean High Water, and its white light is visible for 9 nautical miles.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. 1 2 Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2012. p. 179.
  3. 1 2 "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Rhode Island". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Rowlett, Russ (October 31, 2012). "Lighthouses of Rhode Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  5. www.roseislandlighthouse.org (accessed Dec. 9. 2008)