This is a list of all lighthouses in the U.S. state of Rhode Island as identified by the United States Coast Guard. There are fifteen active lights in the state as well as two skeleton towers erected to replace earlier staffed lighthouses.
The first lighthouse in the state was erected in 1749 and the last in 1962 (ignoring automated towers erected later); the oldest surviving structure is the much-modified Poplar Point Light, although the tower now standing at Prudence Island Light was first erected at Goat Island in 1824. The tallest extant tower is that at Beavertail Light, though the focal plane of the Block Island Southeast Light is much higher on account of the bluffs upon which it sits.
If not otherwise noted, focal height and coordinates are taken from the United States Coast Guard Light List, while location and dates of activation, automation, and deactivation are taken from the United States Coast Guard historical information site for lighthouses. Locations of demolished lights have been estimated using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) navigational charts.
NameImage Location Coordinates Year first lit Automated Year deactivated Current Lens Focal Height Beavertail Lighthouse Jamestown(Conanicut Island) 1749 (Former)1856 (Current) 1989 ActiveVRB-25 068 Block Island North Light New Shoreham(Block Island) 1829 (Former)1867 (Current) 1955 Active(Inactive: 1973–1989,2008–2010) Fourth-order Fresnel 061 Block Island Southeast Light New Shoreham(Block Island) 1875 1990 Active(Inactive: 1990–1994) First-order Fresnel 258 Brenton Reef Light Narragansett 1962 1962 1989(Now a lighted buoy) None 087 Bristol Ferry Light Bristol 1855 Never 1927(Now a private house) None 035 Bullock's Point Light Providence River 1876 (Former) 1939(Current) 1939(skeleton tower) Active(Original towerdestroyed) 250mm 050 Castle Hill Light Newport 1890 1957 Active 300mm 040 Conanicut Island Light Jamestown(Conanicut Island) 1886 Never 1933 None 047 Conimicut Shoal Light Warwick 1868 (Former)1883 (Current) 1966 Active Unknown 029 Dutch Island Light Jamestown 1826 (Former)1857 (Current) 1947 Active(Inactive: 1979-2007) 250mm 056 Fuller Rock Light Providence River 1872 1918 1923(Destroyed)
1923(Replaced with a skeleton tower
renamed Channel Light 42) 250mm 028 Gould Island Light Jamestown(Gould Island) 1889 1947 (on skeleton tower
1947–1968) 1947 None 052 Gull Rocks Light Newport 1887 (Former)1928 (Current) 1960 1969(Demolished) None 033 Hog Island Shoal Light Portsmouth(Hog Island 1901 1964 Active VLB-44 054 Ida Lewis Rock Light Newport(Lime Rock) 1854 1927 1963 None Unknown Musselbed Shoals Light Narragansett Bay(Open water) 1873 1939(skeleton tower) Active(Original towerdestroyed) 035 Nayatt Point Light Barrington 1828 (Former)1856 (Current) Unknown 1868 None Unknown Newport Harbor Light(Goat Island Light) Newport(Goat Island) 1823 (Former)1865 (Current) 1923 Active 250mm 033 Plum Beach Light North Kingstown 1897 2003(Relit) Active(Inactive: 1941–2003) Unknown Unknown Point Judith Light Narragansett 1810 (Former)1857 (Current) 1954 Active Fourth-order Fresnel 051 Pomham Rocks Light East Providence 1871 2006(Relit) Active(on skeleton tower 1974–2006) Marine LED Beacon VLB-44 067 Poplar Point Light North Kingstown 1831 Never 1882(Now a private house) None Unknown Prudence Island Light Portsmouth(Prudence Island) 1852 1961 Active 250mm 028 Rose Island Light Newport(Rose island 1870 1992(Relit) Active(Inactive: 1971–1992) Sixth-order Fresnel 048 Sabin Point Light Providence River 1872 1956 1968(Razed) None 036 Sakonnet Light Little Compton(Sakonnet River) 1884 1997(Relit) Active(Inactive: 1955–1997) Unknown 058 Sassafras Point Light Providence River 1872 Never 1912(Demolished) None 025 Warwick Light Warwick 1827 (Former)1932 (Current) 1985 Active 250mm 066 Watch Hill Light Westerly(Watch Hill) 1808 (Former)1857 (Current) 1986 Active VRB-25 061 Whale Rock Light Narragansett(Whale Rock) 1882 1939 1938(Destroyed)
1939
(Replaced with skeleton tower) None 073 Wickford Harbor Light North KingstownWickford 1882 (Former)1930 (Current) 1930(skeleton tower) Active(skeleton tower) 250mm 042
See also List of lighthouses in the United States List of tallest lighthouses in the United States
References