Little Gull Island Light
Encyclopedia
Little Gull Island Light is a lighthouse
on Little Gull Island
, off Fisher's Island, New York
in Long Island Sound
.
in 1869. The lighthouse was automated in 1978 and is still operational. The foundation is a granite
pier and the construction material is granite.
In 1813, the light was extinguished by a group of Royal Marines
in a raid led by Commodore Thomas Hardy during the War of 1812
.
On May 12, 1881, the Galatea
, bound from Providence, Rhode Island
to New York, ran aground in the calm due to the dense fog. Two days later, the ship was able to get off the island without damage. The Lighthouse Board opened an investigation because it was suspected that the fog signal was not operational during that time. The naval officer in charge, French Ensor Chadwick
, spent time questioning witnesses and others who might have heard the signal, and tested the signal at various locations around Little Gull Island. He concluded that the fog signal was operational during the time as the signal was heard at Mystic, Connecticut
and a tug boat that was farther away than the Galatea, and that the aberrations and eccentricities around Little Gull were even more significant than around Beavertail Lighthouse
where sound tests were run later in 1881.
The US Coast Guard has identified Little Gull Island Light as one of its Historic Light Stations in New York. In 2009 Little Gull Island Light was put up for sale under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
.
Little Gull Island Light is shown on the NOAA Chart 12354
s of lighthouses and has digitized 272 of these and made them available online. These include postcards of Little Gull Island Light with links to customized nautical charts provided by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on Little Gull Island
Little Gull Island
Little Gull Island is a small island in Long Island Sound, located approximately northeast of Great Gull Island. Both islands are located in Suffolk County, New York, and lie roughly midway between Plum Island and Fishers Island...
, off Fisher's Island, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
.
History
The first lighthouse was a 51 feet (15.5 m) high tower established in 1806, which was replaced by the current 81 feet (24.7 m) conical tower and a second order Fresnel lensFresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
in 1869. The lighthouse was automated in 1978 and is still operational. The foundation is a granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
pier and the construction material is granite.
In 1813, the light was extinguished by a group of Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
in a raid led by Commodore Thomas Hardy during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
On May 12, 1881, the Galatea
Galatea
Galatea is an ancient Greek name meaning "she who is milk-white".Galatea or Galathea may refer to:-In mythology:* Galatea :**Galatea, a woman who prayed for her daughter to be turned into a son, Leucippus...
, bound from Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
to New York, ran aground in the calm due to the dense fog. Two days later, the ship was able to get off the island without damage. The Lighthouse Board opened an investigation because it was suspected that the fog signal was not operational during that time. The naval officer in charge, French Ensor Chadwick
French Ensor Chadwick
Rear Admiral French Ensor Chadwick USN was a United States Navy officer who became prominent in the naval reform movement of the post-Civil War era...
, spent time questioning witnesses and others who might have heard the signal, and tested the signal at various locations around Little Gull Island. He concluded that the fog signal was operational during the time as the signal was heard at Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
and a tug boat that was farther away than the Galatea, and that the aberrations and eccentricities around Little Gull were even more significant than around Beavertail Lighthouse
Beavertail Lighthouse
Beavertail Lighthouse, built in 1749, was and still is the premier lighthouse in Rhode Island, USA, especially for entrance into Narragansett Bay. The lighthouse lies on the southernmost point of Conanicut Island in the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island in Beavertail State Park. The light has been...
where sound tests were run later in 1881.
The US Coast Guard has identified Little Gull Island Light as one of its Historic Light Stations in New York. In 2009 Little Gull Island Light was put up for sale under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally-owned lighthouses into private hands...
.
Little Gull Island Light is shown on the NOAA Chart 12354
Cultural
The Archives Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History has a collection (#1055) of souvenir postcardPostcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s of lighthouses and has digitized 272 of these and made them available online. These include postcards of Little Gull Island Light with links to customized nautical charts provided by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.