Ida Lewis Lighthouse, which was formerly the Lime Rock Lighthouse, is in the Newport harbor in

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

. It is named after Ida Lewis, who lived and worked at the lighthouse from 1857 and was the official lighthouse keeper from 1879 until her death in 1911. She was celebrated for many acts of bravery in saving lives.

History

In 1853,

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

authorized the construction of a lighthouse on Lime Rock in Newport harbor. Lime Rock is a limestone ledge about from the shore. The original lighthouse was a short stone tower with a 6th order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

and an oil-burning lantern. The light was commissioned in 1854. In the beginning, the lighthouse keeper rowed from the shore daily to tend the light. In case of foul weather, the lighthouse keeper could stay in a small wooden shanty. The first lighthouse keeper was James Stockbridge Lewis, who had assisted in its construction. After six months, Hosea Lewis, who was the father of James Lewis and a retired pilot, was appointed keeper. In 1857, a two-story house was built for the lighthouse keeper. Lewis and his family moved to the small island in 1857. A few months after he moved to the island, he suffered a stroke. His wife, Ida Zordia Lewis and her children tended the light. Their eldest daughter, who was also named Ida Lewis, did much of the work. After her mother died, she was officially appointed lighthouse keeper from 1879 to 1911. The island and the lighthouse were named for Ida Lewis in 1924. The last lighthouse keeper was Evard Jansen. He remained until the light was automated in 1927. The original light was replaced with an automated, acetylene light on a skeleton tower. It was deactivated in 1963. The original Fresnel lens is on display at the

Museum of Newport History The Museum of Newport History is a history museum in the Old Brick Market building in the heart of Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It is owned and operated by the Newport Historical Society at 127 Thames Street on Washington Square. The b ...

. The lighthouse is maintained as the clubhouse of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club. They have a light as a private aid during part of the year.Lenore Skomal, ''The Keeper of Lime Rock'', Running Press, Philadelphia, PA, 2002, . The Ida Lewis Lighthouse is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, No. 87001700.

References

{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Newport, Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Lighthouses completed in 1854 Houses completed in 1857 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island National Register of Historic Places in Newport, Rhode Island 1854 establishments in Rhode Island

History

See also

References