Fuller
Rock Light
Location:
East side of
Providence River near Providence
 1874 - present Lat 41
47 38 N - Long 71 22 49 W
Established: 1874
Lighthouse Constructed: 1874
Removed: 1924
Original Illuminating Apparatus:
Six-Order Fresnel lens
Current Illuminating Apparatus:
250 mm lens
Height: Lighthouse: 14 feet (1906)
 Skeleton tower: 25 feet (2005)
Status: Active aid to navigation/ skeleton tower now
named Channel Light 42
Light
Characteristic: Lighthouse: Fixed Red (1906)
 Skeleton tower: Flashing Red 6 seconds (1988)
Isosphase Red 6 seconds (2005)
Range: Lighthouse: 7½ miles (1906)
 Skeleton tower: 5 miles
(1988)
 4 miles (2005)
The granite pier that supports Channel Light 42 is all that remains of Fuller
Rock Light. The wooden hexagonal shape
light was constructed in 1872 on the east side of the Providence. Its keepers
were responsible for it and Sassafras Point Light on the west side of the Providence
River.
It was difficult finding suitable keepers for them because of
the low pay rate for tending these kinds of lights. The Lighthouse Board wanted
to build a keeper's dwelling near the lights, as an offset to the low pay. In
1874, Congress appropriated $5,000 for it, but it was never built. The land near
the lights was being improved for business purposes. The property owners didn't
want to sell it to the government, as they feared it would reduce the surrounding
land value.
In 1886, Captain Jack Mullen was appointed the keeper for Fuller Rock and Sassafras
Point, a position he would hold for 25 years. Just before sunset he would row
out to Fuller Rock first and light it. Sometimes during the winter, it would be
covered with ice. He would have to crawl on his hands and knees to reach the light.
After it was lit, he would row up the river to Sassafras Point and light it. He
would repeat this process the next morning to extinguish them.
On February
5, 1923, the lighthouse tender Pansy arrived at Fuller Rock to replace its six
acetylene tanks. The light had been changed from oil to acetylene when it was
automated in 1918. The crew from the Pansy removed the old tanks and installed
six new ones. Each tank was six feet long and weighed over 200 pounds. After the
installation was completed, the crew returned to the Pansy for lunch.
After lunch, the crew returned to the light to make sure everything was all right.
As they climbed the stairs to the light, it exploded throwing the men onto the
surrounding rocks, injuring five of them. The wreckage burst into flames, completely
destroying what was left of it. The explosion was so powerful it was heard a mile
away.
The Pansy rushed its five injured crewmembers to Providence for
treatment. A buoy was placed near Fuller Rock as a temporary aid to navigation.
A light on a skeleton tower was later erected on the granite pier.
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