Location: East side of Providence River near Providence
1874 - present Lat 41 47 38 N - Long 72 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.