Rhode Island Lighthouse History

Location: Beavertail Point on the southern tip of Conanicut Island
1749 - presentLat 41 26 58 N - Long 71 23 58 W

Established: 1749

Original Lighthouse Constructed: 1749

Current Lighthouse Constructed: 1856

Automated: 1972

Original Illuminating Apparatus: Third Order Fresnel Lens

Current Illuminating Apparatus: DCB 24

Height: 45 feet

Status: Active Aid to Navigation/Museum in Assistant Keeper's Dwelling

Light Characteristic: Group flashing (8) White every 30 seconds (1924)
0.7 seconds flash, 1.2 seconds eclipse
0.7 seconds flash, 1.2 seconds eclipse
0.7 seconds flash, 1.2 seconds eclipse
0.7 seconds flash, 1.2 seconds eclipse
0.7 seconds flash, 1.2 seconds eclipse
0.7 seconds flash, 1.2 seconds eclipse
0.7 seconds flash, 1.2 seconds eclipse
0.7 seconds flash, 16 seconds eclipse

Group flashing (2) White every 15 seconds (1950)
0.4 seconds flash, 3.2 seconds eclipse
0.4 seconds flash, 11 seconds eclipse

Flashing White every 9 seconds (2010)

Range: 15 miles

Beavertail Light was the first lighthouse in Rhode Island. The light, a fifty-eight feet wood octagonal tower, was built at Beavertail Point on the southern tip of Conanicut Island. The light was designed by Peter Harrison, who later designed the Touro Synagogue in Newport. When it was built in 1749, it was only the third lighthouse in America. It burned down in 1751.

The second Beavertail Lighthouse was built in 1754 using rubble stone. The British set fire to the light, when they were forced out of Rhode Island in 1779. It was repaired and was relighted. The light's keeper's dwelling was destroyed during a hurricane in September 1815. A new keeper's dwelling was built in 1816.

In 1856, the current light station, a granite tower and a brick keeper's dwelling, was built. A third order Fresnel lens was installed in the new tower. It was first lighted on October 20, 1856. A few days later the old light was blown up.

On September 21, 1938 one of the most powerful hurricanes in history hit Rhode Island. As the storm raged, a school bus carrying Beavertail Lighthouse's keeper Carl Chellis' son, Clayton, and daughter, Marion, and six other children drove to the light. The bus was crossing a causeway at Mackerel Cove, when a storm surge hit. The bus was swamped. The school bus driver, Norman Caswell, feared they would all drown if they stayed on the bus. He and the children got off the bus and headed to high ground. Another storm surge hit and swept them away. Only the Bus Driver and the lighthouse keeper's son survived. As the Bus Driver was being pulled form the water, he pleaded "Please let me die, I lost all those bunch of kids. Everything's gone. Please don't move me from the water. Let me die!"

The 1938 Hurricane tore up the ground in front of light and revealed the stone foundation of the first Beavertail light. In 2008 a radar survey of the foundation was done. It was believe that the first Beavertail light was circular in shape. The survey determined that the light was octagonal in shape. There are no images of it, but Poplar Point Lighthouse in Wickford was built with an octagonal shape tower.

The light was automated in 1972. In 1991, the fourth order Fresnel lens, installed in 1907, was replaced by a modern optic. Today Beavertail lighthouse still serves as an active aid to navigation. The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum has a small museum in the assistant's keeper's dwelling. Its centerpiece is the fourth order Fresnel lens used at the light. The museum is open from Memorial Day thru the middle of October.