Pecks Ledge Light
Encyclopedia
Pecks Ledge Light, also known as "Peck Ledge Lighthouse", is a sparkplug lighthouse
in Norwalk
, Connecticut
, United States, southeast of Norwalk Harbor
and northeast of Goose Island among the Norwalk Islands
on Long Island Sound
. The lighthouse is about two miles (3 km) from Calf Pasture Beach
in Norwalk and can be seen from the beach.
The cast-iron structure is still a working lighthouse operated by the United States Coast Guard
and is not open to the public. The 54 feet (16.5 m)-high lighthouse is painted white with a brown band in the middle. Inside, the structure has three stories of living space along with a basement with cisterns for rainwater storage, all below a watchroom and lantern.
. The light was automated by the Coast Guard in 1933 and now flashes green every 2.5 seconds. In 1988 the Fresnel lens was removed and a 250 mm optic was installed. In 1990 the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. In 2004 the Coast Guard installed 100 tons of granite
riprap
as well as a section of step-cut stones to allow for easier access.
Despite damage from vandalism, nesting birds, and corrosion, the structure is still said to be in good shape.
Sparkplug lighthouse
A sparkplug lighthouse, sometimes known as a bug light, is a type of caisson lighthouse so named because of its shape. Generally speaking, a sparkplug lighthouse consists of a three-story living area, with the lantern on top; the whole is then placed upon a concrete or metal caisson. The...
in Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States, southeast of Norwalk Harbor
Norwalk Harbor
Norwalk Harbor is a recreational and commercial harbor and seaportat the estuary of the Norwalk River where it flows into Long Island Soundin Norwalk, Connecticut, United States.The last portion of the Norwalk River from the head of navigation...
and northeast of Goose Island among the Norwalk Islands
Norwalk Islands
The Norwalk Islands are a chain of more than 25 islands amid partly submerged boulders, reefs and mudflats along a six-mile stretch and mostly about a mile off the coast of Norwalk, Connecticut and southwest Westport, Connecticut, in Long Island Sound.The islands are used for several different...
on 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...
. The lighthouse is about two miles (3 km) from Calf Pasture Beach
Calf Pasture Beach
Calf Pasture Beach is an historically significant park and beach in East Norwalk, Connecticut along Long Island Sound.The area of the park lands is approximately ....
in Norwalk and can be seen from the beach.
The cast-iron structure is still a working lighthouse operated by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
and is not open to the public. The 54 feet (16.5 m)-high lighthouse is painted white with a brown band in the middle. Inside, the structure has three stories of living space along with a basement with cisterns for rainwater storage, all below a watchroom and lantern.
History
The lighthouse was built in 1906 and had a fourth 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...
. The light was automated by the Coast Guard in 1933 and now flashes green every 2.5 seconds. In 1988 the Fresnel lens was removed and a 250 mm optic was installed. In 1990 the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. In 2004 the Coast Guard installed 100 tons of 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...
riprap
Riprap
Riprap — also known as rip rap, rubble, shot rock or rock armour or "Rip-rap" — is rock or other material used to armor shorelines, streambeds, bridge abutments, pilings and other shoreline structures against scour, water or ice erosion.It is made from a variety of rock types, commonly granite or...
as well as a section of step-cut stones to allow for easier access.
Despite damage from vandalism, nesting birds, and corrosion, the structure is still said to be in good shape.