Prudence Island Light
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| Location | Portsmouth, Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°36′21.1″N 71°18′12.7″W / 41.605861°N 71.303528°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1852 |
| Foundation | Natural / emplaced |
| Construction | Granite blocks |
| Height | 8.5 m (28 ft)  |
| Shape | Octagonal tower |
| Markings | White |
| Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| Fog signal | None |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1823 on Goat Island moved here in 1851 |
| Focal height | 28 feet (8.5 m) |
| Lens | 5th order Fresnel lens, 1852 |
| Range | 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) |
| Characteristic | Flashing green, 6 seconds |
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.
History
The lighthouse was constructed in 1823 and originally sat on a dike off Goat Island farther south in the Bay, where the Newport Harbor Light stands today. In 1851, it was transported to Prudence Island where it remains. It is one of the few lighthouses in the United States to retain its original bird-cage lantern. The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[4]
The lighthouse keeper's house was swept away in the 1938 New England hurricane, and five people were washed out to sea and drowned, including the lighthouse keeper's wife. The keeper was also washed into the sea, but he was thrown back ashore and survived.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2012. p. 170.
- ^ a b "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Rhode Island". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
- ^ Rowlett, Russ (2012-10-31). "Lighthouses of Rhode Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
External links
- Lighthouse History
- RI Lighthouse History of Prudence Light
- National Park Service Prudence site
- LighthouseFriends.com
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- Lighthouses completed in 1823
- Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
- Lighthouses in Newport County, Rhode Island
- Buildings and structures in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
- National Register of Historic Places in Newport County, Rhode Island
- Newport County, Rhode Island Registered Historic Place stubs