Musselbed
Shoals Light
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Courtesy of the
National Archives
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Location: Entrance
to Mount Hope Bay
 1873 - present --Lat
41 38 12 N - Long 71 15 36
W
Established: 1873
Lighthouse Constructed:
1873
Removed: 1939
Original Illuminating
Apparatus: Six-Order Fresnel Lens
Current Illuminating
Apparatus: 250 mm Lens
Height: Lighthouse: Light 19 feet from ground
(1906)
 Skeleton tower: 15 feet (2005)
Status: Active Aid to Navigation / Skeleton Tower
Light Characteristic:
Lighthouse: Fixed Red (1906)
 Skeleton tower: Musselbed
Shoals Light 6A
 Flashing White Every 6 seconds (1988)
Flashing Red Every 6 seconds (2005)
Musselbed Shoals Directional
Light (2005)
Fixed
White with Red and Green Sectors
Red sector from 43° 30' to 49° 15'
Green sectors from 52°
45' to 58° 30'
Range: Lighthouse: 7½ miles (1906)
 Skeleton Tower: Musselbed Shoals Light
6A
7 miles (1988)
6 miles (2005)
Musselbed
Shoals Directional Light (2005)
White 9 miles
Red 7 miles
Green 7 miles
In the early 1800's, ships sailing between Narragansett Bay and
Mount Hope Bay had to thread through a narrow channel between
Hog Island Shoals and Musselbed Shoals. If the ships strayed
from the channel, they would wreck on the shoals.
The Old Colony Steamboat Company ran a line of steamships between
New York and Fall River, Massachusetts. They maintained a lightship
on Hog Island Shoals to help their ships navigate through the
channel. The Lighthouse Board wanted to replace it with a government
lighthouse. They estimated it would cost $45,000 to build the
lighthouse.
After several years of being denied the money for the Hog Island
Shoal lighthouse, the Lighthouse Board decided to put a light
on an existing stone tower on Musselbed Shoals. It is a half-mile
from Hog Island Shoals. The Board changed its mind about putting
a light on a stone tower and decided to build a wood lighthouse
instead.
The lighthouse was built in 1873. It was first lighted on August
1 using a sixth order Fresnel lens.
During the winter of 1875, floating ice struck Musselbed Shoals
Lighthouse. It moved the light's stone pier four feet. The light
stayed in operation, but needed frequent adjustments to work
properly.
In 1878, the lighthouse was removed from the stone pier and was
taken ashore. A granite pier was built in its place. The lighthouse
was placed on the new pier.
The lighthouse was damaged during the 1938 Hurricane and was
removed in 1939. It was replaced with a skeleton tower.
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