Point Judith Light
Encyclopedia
The Point Judith Light is located on the west side of the entrance to Narragansett Bay
, Rhode Island
as well as the north side of the eastern entrance to Block Island Sound
. The confluence of two waterways make this area busy with water traffic and the waters around Point Judith
are very cold and dangerous. Historically, even with active lighthouses, there have been many shipwrecks off these coasts.
Three light structures have been built on this site. The original 35 feet (10.7 m) tower, built in 1810, was destroyed by a hurricane in 1815. It was replaced in 1816, by a 35 feet (10.7 m) stone tower with a revolving light and ten lamps. The present octagonal granite tower was built in 1856. It is 51 feet (15.5 m) high which, with the height of its land foundation, places the focal point of the lens 65 feet (19.8 m) above sea level
. The upper half of the tower is painted brown and the lower half white to make the light structure a more effective daymark for maritime traffic. In 1871, ship captains asked that Point Judith's fog signal be changed from a horn to whistle. This change distinguished the Point Judith light from the Beavertail Lighthouse
, which used a siren to announce fog. A whistle could also be heard more distinctly over the sounds of the surf in the area. Point Judith Light was automated in 1954.
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
as well as the north side of the eastern entrance to Block Island Sound
Block Island Sound
Block Island Sound is a strait in the open Atlantic Ocean, approximately wide, separating Block Island from the coast of Rhode Island in the United States...
. The confluence of two waterways make this area busy with water traffic and the waters around Point Judith
Point Judith
Point Judith is a village and a small cape, on the coast of Narragansett, Rhode Island, on the western side of Narragansett Bay where it opens out onto Rhode Island Sound....
are very cold and dangerous. Historically, even with active lighthouses, there have been many shipwrecks off these coasts.
Three light structures have been built on this site. The original 35 feet (10.7 m) tower, built in 1810, was destroyed by a hurricane in 1815. It was replaced in 1816, by a 35 feet (10.7 m) stone tower with a revolving light and ten lamps. The present octagonal granite tower was built in 1856. It is 51 feet (15.5 m) high which, with the height of its land foundation, places the focal point of the lens 65 feet (19.8 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The upper half of the tower is painted brown and the lower half white to make the light structure a more effective daymark for maritime traffic. In 1871, ship captains asked that Point Judith's fog signal be changed from a horn to whistle. This change distinguished the Point Judith light from the 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...
, which used a siren to announce fog. A whistle could also be heard more distinctly over the sounds of the surf in the area. Point Judith Light was automated in 1954.