Beavertail State Park is a public recreation area encompassing at the southern end of

Conanicut Island Conanicut Island is the second-largest island in Narragansett Bay in the American state of Rhode Island. It is connected on the east to Newport on Aquidneck Island via the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, and on th ...

Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Sma ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

. The

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

's main attraction is the active

Beavertail Lighthouse Beavertail Lighthouse was built in 1856 and is the premier lighthouse in Rhode Island, marking the entrance to Narragansett Bay. The lighthouse lies on the southernmost point of Conanicut Island in the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island in Beaverta ...

, the current tower of which dates from 1856. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the park area was part of Fort Burnside, one of several coastal fortifications designed to protect Narragansett Bay. The park's scenic shoreline offers hiking, picnicking, and saltwater fishing.

History

Lighthouse

A 58-foot wooden tower built in 1749, under the direction of architect Peter Harrison of Newport, burned down in 1753. It was replaced by a fieldstone tower which was in use until 1856, when the present tower and keeper's quarters were completed. The assistant keeper's house, which was built in 1898, now houses the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum.

Coastal fortifications

In 1776, during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

, the Beaver Tail Fort was built in conjunction with the

Conanicut Battery The Conanicut Battery is a colonial and 20th century military battery in Jamestown, Rhode Island, west of Beaver Tail Road. The site offers a commanding view of the West Passage of Narragansett Bay. During the American Revolutionary War, local ...

near Beaver Head. These forts were captured by the British when they seized the Newport area in December 1778, and later used by the Americans and French after the British withdrew in October 1779. Fort Burnside was established in 1942 as part of the

Harbor Defenses of Narragansett Bay A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

. By late 1943, a

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

of two 6-inch guns (152 mm) and a battery of two 3-inch guns (76 mm) were established. The 6-inch battery was called Battery Construction Number (BCN) 213, with ammunition

magazines A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...

in a large bunker and the guns in shielded mounts. The 3-inch battery was called Battery Whiting; the guns were relocated from

Fort Getty Fort Getty is a town park in Jamestown, Rhode Island, on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay. From 1900 through World War II it was a military fort. The Town of Jamestown later received the property and opened it as a park, primarily a campgro ...

and the battery name was retained. A large Army-Navy Harbor Entrance Control Post, disguised as a seaside mansion, was also built and still exists. Fort Burnside also hosted a US Navy

indicator loop An anti-submarine indicator loop was a submerged cable laid on the sea bed and used to detect the passage of enemy submarines. History In the first years of World War I submarines were fearful, one-sided weapons because they were invisible. In J ...

station for detecting submarines (Station 1H). A battery of two 16-inch guns (406 mm), similar to those at Fort Church and

Fort Greene Fort Greene is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Flushing Avenue and the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the north, Flatbush Avenue Extension and Downtown Brooklyn to the west, ...

and called BCN 110, was proposed for Fort Burnside but never built.Berhow, p. 205 With the war over, Fort Burnside's guns were scrapped in 1948.

Radio station

From circa 1960 to 1974, part of the former Fort Burnside was used for the Naval Radio Station (NAVRADSTA) Jamestown, part of Naval Communications Station (NAVCOMMSTA) Newport. It had a distinctive 600-foot (180-meter) radio tower.

State park

The state created Beavertail State Park in 1980, after the site was declared federal surplus land. The park is used for sightseeing, hiking, picnicking, and saltwater fishing. Nature programs are offered seasonally.

References

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External links

Beavertail State Park
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Parks & Recreation
List of all US coastal forts and batteries
at the Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. website
FortWiki, lists all CONUS and Canadian forts
{{authority control State parks of Rhode Island Jamestown, Rhode Island Burnside Protected areas established in 1980 Protected areas of Newport County, Rhode Island 1980 establishments in Rhode Island