Block Island North Light

Block Island North Light (Lighthouse), built in 1867, is a historic lighthouse on Block Island, Rhode Island (New Shoreham).

Block Island North Light
2017
LocationSandy Point, New Shoreham, Rhode Island
Coordinates41°13′39″N 71°34′34″W
Year first constructed1867
Year first lit1867
Automated1955
Deactivated1973-1989, 2008-2010
ConstructionGranite/wood
Tower shapeOctagonal tower
Markings / patternBrown
Tower height55 feet (17 m)
Focal height61 feet (19 m)
Original lensFourth order Fresnel
Range11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi)
Characteristic
Flashing white light every 5 seconds
Fog signalnone
Admiralty numberJ0642
ARLHS numberUSA-061
USCG number1-19481
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Block Island North Light
undated USCG photograph
MPSLighthouses of Rhode Island TR (AD)
NRHP reference No.74000008 [1]
Added to NRHPMay 23, 1974

History

The first light on the site was built in 1829. The current structure at Sandy Point is the fourth lighthouse built on the site and was made of granite and iron in 1867. The light was deactivated in 1973 and United States Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the lighthouse. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1]

After years of neglect, the lighthouse, along with two acres of land, was sold to New Shoreham in 1984 for 1 USD. Following much renovation by the North Light Commission, it was relighted in 1989, and a museum opened on the first floor in 1993. Then, in 2008 the light underwent restoration at Georgetown Ironworks in Massachusetts and was returned in 2009. Finally, on 23 October 2010, a relighting ceremony took place.[2]

Structure

The building is made of brown granite. The tower is octagonal in shape, 55 feet (17 m) in height, and provides a focal plane height of 61 feet (19 m). It contains a fourth-order Fresnel lens, which flashes white light every five seconds, and has a range of 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi). The lighthouse does not have a foghorn.[3]

A wind generator and solar panels provide much of the power for the building.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. Jeremy D'Entremont. "History of Block Island North Lighthouse, Rhode Island". www.newenglandlighthouses.net. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  3. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Rhode Island". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.


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