Conanicut
Light
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Courtesy of National Archives
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Location: North
End of Conanicut Island
 1886 - present Lat 41 34
25 N - Long 71 22 21 W
Established: 1886
Lighthouse Constructed:
1886
Discontinued: 1930
Original Illuminating
Apparatus: Fifth-Order Fresnel Lens
Current Illuminating
Apparatus: None
Height: Lighthouse:
47 feet
 Skeleton tower: 50 feet
Status: Private Residence
Light Characteristic:
Lighthouse: Fixed Red (1906)
 Skeleton tower: Fixed
Red (1950)
None (2005)
Range: Lighthouse:
8½ miles (1906)
 Skeleton tower: 13 miles (1950)
None (2005)
The Wickford Rail and Steamboat Company ran a ferry between Wickford
and Newport in the late 1800's. In 1882 it petitioned the Lighthouse
Board to build a lighthouse on the northern tip of Conanicut
Island. On July 7, 1884 Congress appropriated $18,000 to build
the lighthouse. The Board chose a site, but construction was
delayed because one of its owners was in Europe.
The Conanicut Lighthouse, a square wooden tower attached to a
keeper's dwelling, was completed in 1886. It was first lighted
on April 1.
Conanicut Lighthouse was discontinued in 1933. Its lantern and
Fresnel lens were removed. A forty foot skeleton
tower replaced
the light. It was equipped with a 375-mm lens lantern as the
primary light
and a 300-mm lens lantern as the backup
light. It remained in service until the 1980's.
The lighthouse was sold at auction in 1934 for $2,874.
It has changed little since then.
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