Stratford Point Light is a historic
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
in
Stratford,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
United States, at the mouth of the
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...
. The second tower was one of the first prefabricated cylindrical lighthouses in the country and remains active.
It sits on a tract at the southeastern tip of Stratford Point.
History
The first Stratford Point Lighthouse was built in 1822. In 1855 a fifth order lens was added to the wooden tower. In 1881, the tower and dwelling were razed and replaced with a tall, brick lined cast-iron tower and equipped with a third 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 ...
. The light was automated in 1970 with a modern beacon. It is an active aid to navigation and is used for Coast Guard housing.
The lighthouse 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 v ...
in 1990.
[
]
Head keepers
* Samuel Buddington (1822 – 1843)
* William Merwin (1843 – 1844)
* Samuel Buddington (1844 – 1848)
* Amy Buddington (1848 – 1861)
* Rufus Warren Buddington (1861 – 1869)
* Benedict Lillingston (1869 – 1874)
* John L. Brush (1874 – 1879)
* Jerome B. Tuttle (1879 – 1880)
* Theodore Judson (1880 – 1919)
* William F. Petzolt (1919 – 1946)
* Daniel F. McCoart (1946 – 1963)
* Richard L. Fox (1963 – )
See also
* List of lighthouses in Connecticut
The U.S. state of Connecticut has fourteen active lighthouses in the state, two of which are maintained as private aids; six are standing but inactive. Another was destroyed after its deactivation. The earliest lighthouse in the state was erected ...
* List of lighthouses in the United States
This is a list of lighthouses in the United States. The United States has had approximately a thousand lights as well as light towers, range lights, and pier head lights. Michigan has the most lights of any state with over 150 past and present l ...
*
References
* ''"Lights & Legends, A Historical Guide to Lighthouses of Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, and Block Island Sound"'', Harlan Hamilton, Westcott Publishing Company, 1987.
* ''"Northeast Lights: Lighthouses and Lightships, Rhode Island to Cape Mary, New Jersey"'', Robert G. Bachand, Sea Sports Publications, 1989.
* ''"Lighthouses of Southern New England: Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, A Pictorial Guide"'', Courtney Thompson, CatNap Publications, 2002.
External links
lighthouse.cc: Stratford Point Light
lighthousefriends.com: Inventory of Historic Light Stations
Location on Google Maps
Lighthouses completed in 1822
Lighthouses completed in 1881
Buildings and structures in Stratford, Connecticut
Lighthouses in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut
1822 establishments in Connecticut
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