New London Ledge Lighthouse is a lighthouse on the Thames River in the U.S. state of Connecticut, at the mouth of New London Harbor. It was built in 1909 in the Second Empire style and was automated in 1987. In 1990, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse is owned and maintained by the New London Maritime Society as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act program.[5]
 The lighthouse in 2022 | |
 | |
| Location | Thames River New London Harbor, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°18′21.18″N 72°04′38.82″W / 41.3058833°N 72.0774500°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1909 |
| Foundation | concrete pier |
| Construction | granite and brick building |
| Automated | 1987 |
| Height | 58 ft (18 m) |
| Shape | short cylindrical tower on 3-story dwelling |
| Markings | white tower, red lantern roof |
| Power source | solar power  |
| Operator | New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation[1] [2] |
| Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 58 ft (18 m) |
| Lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens (original), VRB-25[3] (current) |
| Range | 15 nmi (28 km; 17 mi) |
| Characteristic | three white flashes separated by 5 s, 10 s off, red flash, 10 s off |
New London Ledge Lighthouse | |
| Built | 1909 |
| Built by | T.A. Scott Company (foundation) Hamilton R. Douglas Company (structure) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| MPS | Operating Lighthouses in Connecticut MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001471[4] |
| Added to NRHP | May 29, 1990 |
History
editNew London Ledge Lighthouse was built in 1909 on the southwest ledge at the mouth of New London Harbor. It was originally called the Southwest Ledge light, but this caused confusion with Southwest Ledge Light in New Haven, Connecticut, so it was renamed New London Ledge Light in 1910. The United States Coast Guard took over in 1939 upon its merger with the Lighthouse Service, and the light was automated in 1987. The original fourth order Fresnel lens was removed and was later put on display in the New London Customhouse museum. The light was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.[4]
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Postcard, c.1930-45 -
The light's lantern and watch room in 1997 -
The top of the lighthouse in 2010
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Ghost legend
editLedge Light has long been the subject of a ghost legend, centering around the supposed spirit of a former keeper named Ernie. The lighthouse has been featured on paranormal reality shows such as Scariest Places on Earth and Ghost Hunters. Investigators from The Atlantic Paranormal Society concluded on Ghost Hunters that there was not enough evidence to determine any paranormal activity taking place at the lighthouse, despite a few unexplained phenomena such as cold spots.[6]
Head keepers
edit- W.B. Petty (1909 – 1910)
- George E. Hansen (1910 – at least 1917)
- Howard B. Beebe (1926 – 1938)
- Leonard Fuller (at least 1940)
- Michael Scanlan (1943 – 1949)
- William Clark (1954 – 1959)[7]
See also
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References
editNotes
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Connecticut". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ^ Connecticut Historic Light Station Information & Photography United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 21 June 2016
- ^ New London Ledge Lighthouse Archived 2016-07-08 at the Wayback Machine New England Lighthouses. Retrieved 21 June 2016
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ Smith, Greg (August 6, 2015). "New London Maritime Society takes over as New London Ledge Light owner". The New London Day.
- ^ TAPS "The Ledge Lighthouse[permanent dead link]". Ghost Hunters, Sci Fi Channel.
- ^ New London Ledge, CT Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved 21 June 2016
Bibliography
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. CT-172, "New London Ledge Lighthouse, Long Island Sound, East of main harbor channel, New London, New London County, CT", 12 photos, 9 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
External links
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Media related to New London Ledge Light at Wikimedia Commons
