Aerial_view_of_the_1870_Rose_Island_Light

Rose Island is an island in

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. Sm ...

off

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It is allegedly named "Rose Island" because at low tide the island appears to be shaped like a rose.Rose Island Light info
(accessed Oct. 9, 2009) The Island is only accessible by boat. The island and its lighthouse are run by the private, non-profit Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation.

History

The Native American name for Rose Island was "Conockonoquit". Fortifications were constructed during the American Revolution on the island. In 1798, the U.S. government began constructing

Fort Hamilton Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which i ...

on Rose Island, but never completed the fort. Units of the U.S. Infantry were stationed there. The stone barracks from the fort still remain. The U.S. Navy used Rose Island to store explosives during World Wars I and II as part of the

Naval Torpedo Station The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is the United States Navy's full-spectrum research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support center for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, and offensive and defensive weapons ...

. The government stopped using the island after World War II (except for the lighthouse) and declared it government surplus. The abandoned fort was added to 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 ...

in 2001 as Fort Hamilton Historic District.

Lighthouse

Built in 1870, the Rose Island Light served as an aid to navigation for a century, and was deactivated in 1970 after the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge was built. In 1984, a group of citizens started the Newport Lighthouse Foundation to preserve the light. As of 2008, it has been restored to its Victorian appearance. Visitors may pay to stay at the lighthouse for a night or one week as keepers.

References

External links

Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation

Islands of Newport County, Rhode Island Geography of Newport, Rhode Island Islands of Narragansett Bay Islands of Rhode Island {{RhodeIsland-geo-stub

History

Lighthouse

References

Further reading

External links