Point Judith Light

The 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.

Point Judith Lighthouse as seen from the Atlantic Ocean
Point Judith Light
Point Judith Light in November 2007
LocationNarragansett, Rhode Island
Coordinates41°21′39.7″N 71°28′53″W
Year first constructed1810
Year first lit1857
Automated1954
FoundationGranite blocks
ConstructionGranite blocks
Tower shapeOctagonal conical
Markings / patternLower half, white
upper half, brown
Black lantern
Tower height51 feet (16 m)
Focal height65 feet (20 m)
Original lensFourth order Fresnel lens
Current lensoriginal
Range16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi)
CharacteristicOcculting 3 white 15 seconds
5s on, 2s off; 2s on, 2s off; 2s on, 2s off
Fog signalHorn, 1 blast every 15 seconds
Admiralty numberJ0628
ARLHS numberUSA-625
USCG number1-19450 [1]

[2]

[3]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Point Judith Lighthouse
Built1857
MPSLighthouses of Rhode Island TR
NRHP reference No.88000279 [4]
Added to NRHPMarch 30, 1988

Three light structures have been built on this site. The original 35-foot (11 m) tower, built in 1810, was destroyed by a hurricane in 1815. It was replaced in 1816, by another 35-foot stone tower with a revolving light and ten lamps. The present octagonal granite tower was built in 1856. The upper half of the tower is painted brown and the lower half white to make the light structure a more effective daymark for maritime traffic. In 1871, ship captains asked that Point Judith's fog signal be changed from a horn to whistle. This change distinguished the Point Judith light from the Beavertail Lighthouse, which used a siren to announce fog. A whistle could also be heard more distinctly over the sounds of the surf in the area. Point Judith Light was automated in 1954, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

See also

References
  1. Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2012. p. 181.
  2. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Rhode Island". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  3. Rowlett, Russ (2012-10-31). "Lighthouses of Rhode Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.


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