Brenton Reef Light
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.
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| Location | Narragansett, Rhode Island, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 41°25′35″N 71°23′22″W |
| Year first lit | 1962 |
| Deactivated | 1989 |
| Foundation | steel tower |
| Tower shape | square platform with tower at one corner |
| Tower height | 87 feet (27 m) |
| Original lens | Crouse Hinds DCE-36 airways beacon |
| Range | 22 nautical miles; 40 kilometres (25 mi) |
| Characteristic | white, two flashes every 10 seconds |
History
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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)
| Keeper | Years |
|---|---|
| David C. Champlin | 1853 |
| John Heath | 1853–1854 |
| Edward E. Taylor | 1854 |
| Samuel Dunn | 1854 |
| Josiah K. Pitman | 1854–1861 |
Lightship LV-11 (1856–1897)
| Keeper | Years |
|---|---|
| Josiah K. Pitman | 1854–1861 |
| Joseph Sherman | 1861–1865 |
| George Bardick | 1865 |
| Charles D. Marsh | 1865–1866 |
| George Williams | 1866–1868 |
| Clarke Bardick | 1868–1871 |
| Charles D. Marsh | 1871–1886 |
| David H. Caulkins | 1886–1888 |
| Edward Fogarty | 1888–1898 |
Lightship LV-39 (1897–1935)
| Keeper | Years |
|---|---|
| Edward Fogarty | 1888–1898 |
| Charles A. Hawkins | 1898–1917 |
| Karl M. Larsen | 1917–1919 |
| Fred J. Worth | 1919 |
| Martin Berg | 1919–1922 |
| Harold White | 1922–1923 |
| Theodor Anderson | 1923–1927 |
| Charles Steijen | 1927 |
| Theodor Anderson | 1927 |
| John B. Kelly | 1927 |
| Frederic Sundloff | 1927–1929 |
| August E. Gustafson | 1929-? |
| Unknown | 1929–1939 |
Lightship LV-102/WAL 525 (1945–1962)
| Keeper | Years |
|---|---|
| Unknown | 1929–1939 |
| Norman Gray, Master | 1939–? |
| Unknown | 1959–1961 William Dougue |
| Edward Godlewski | 1961–1963 |
Lighthouse (1962–1989)
| Keeper | Years |
|---|---|
| Edward Godlewski | 1961–1963 |
| Unknown | 1963–1989 |
References
- "Brenton Reef Lightship Keepers". rhodeislandlighthousehistory.info. Retrieved 2015-08-29.
- "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Rhode Island". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
- Chart 13221: Narragansett Bay (Map). 1:20,000. NOAA. 1976. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
- Chart 13218: Martha's Vineyard to Block Island (Map). 1:80,000. NOAA. 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
- Holmes, R. "Rhode Island Lighthouse History: Brenton Reef Lights History". Retrieved 2008-06-12.
