Stratford Point Light is a historic lighthouse in the Lordship neighborhood of Stratford, Connecticut, United States, at the mouth of the Housatonic River. The second tower was one of the first prefabricated cylindrical lighthouses in the country and remains active.
 Stratford Point Lighthouse | |
 | |
| Location | Stratford, Connecticut United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°09′07.19″N 73°06′11.78″W / 41.1519972°N 73.1032722°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1822 (first) |
| Foundation | concrete |
| Construction | cast iron tower |
| Automated | 1970 |
| Height | 35 ft (11 m) |
| Shape | conical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white tower with brias red band, red lantern roof |
| Operator | United States Coast Guard[1] [2] |
| Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place  |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1881 (current) |
| Focal height | 52 ft (16 m) |
| Lens | First order Fresnel lens (1855) Third order Fresnel lens (1881) Fourth order Fresnel lens (1906) 190 mm lens (1990)[3] |
| Range | 16 nmi (30 km; 18 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (2) W 20s. |
Stratford Point Lighthouse | |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| MPS | Operating Lighthouses in Connecticut MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001476[4] |
| Added to NRHP | May 29, 1990 |
It sits on a 4-acre (1.6 ha) tract at the southeastern tip of Stratford Point.
History
edit
The first Stratford Point Lighthouse was built in 1822. In 1855 a fifth order lens was added to the 28-foot (8.5 m) wooden tower. In 1881, the tower and dwelling were razed and replaced with a 35-foot (11 m) tall, brick lined cast-iron tower and equipped with a third order Fresnel lens. The light was automated in 1970 with a modern beacon. It is an active aid to navigation and is used for Coast Guard housing.
The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.[4]
Head keepers
edit- Samuel Buddington (1822 – 1843)
- William Merwin (1843 – 1844)
- Samuel Buddington (1844 – 1848)
- Amy Buddington (1848 – 1861)
- Rufus Warren Buddington (1861 – 1869)
- Benedict Lillingston (1869 – 1874)
- John L. Brush (1874 – 1879)
- Jerome B. Tuttle (1879 – 1880)
- Theodore Judson (1880 – 1919)
- William F. Petzolt (1919 – 1946)
- Daniel F. McCoart (1946 – 1963)
- Richard L. Fox (1963 – )
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Connecticut". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-06-23.
- ^ Connecticut Historic Light Station Information & Photography United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 23 June 2016
- ^ Stratford Point Lighthouse New England Lighthouses. Retrieved 23 June 2016
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- "Lights & Legends, A Historical Guide to Lighthouses of Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, and Block Island Sound", Harlan Hamilton, Westcott Publishing Company, 1987.
- "Northeast Lights: Lighthouses and Lightships, Rhode Island to Cape Mary, New Jersey", Robert G. Bachand, Sea Sports Publications, 1989.
- "Lighthouses of Southern New England: Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, A Pictorial Guide", Courtney Thompson, CatNap Publications, 2002.
External links
edit
- lighthouse.cc: Stratford Point Light
- lighthousefriends.com: Inventory of Historic Light Stations
- NPS.gov: Stratford Point, CT Archived 2006-10-06 at the Wayback Machine
- Location on Google Maps
- Stratford Point Lighthouse
 | This article relating to a United States lighthouse is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |