Stratford Point Light

Stratford Point Light is a historic lighthouse in Stratford, Connecticut, United States, at the mouth of the Housatonic River. The second tower was one of the first prefabricated cylindrical lighthouses in the country and remains active.

Stratford Point Light
Stratford Point Lighthouse
Connecticut
LocationStratford, Connecticut
United States
Coordinates41°09′07.19″N 73°06′11.78″W
Year first constructed1822 (first)
Year first lit1881 (current)
Automated1970
Foundationconcrete
Constructioncast iron tower
Tower shapeconical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternwhite tower with brias red band, red lantern roof
Tower height35 ft (11 m)
Focal height52 ft (16 m)
Original lensFirst order Fresnel lens (1855)
Third order Fresnel lens (1881)
Fourth order Fresnel lens (1906)
190 mm lens (1990)[1]
Range16 nautical mile 
CharacteristicFl (2) W 20s.
Admiralty numberJ0810
ARLHS numberUSA-816
USCG number1-21230
Managing agentUnited States Coast Guard[2] [3]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Stratford Point Lighthouse
Arealess than one acre
Built1881 (1881)
Architectural styleLate Victorian
MPSOperating Lighthouses in Connecticut MPS
NRHP reference No.89001476[4]
Added to NRHPMay 29, 1990

It sits on a 4-acre (1.6 ha) tract at the southeastern tip of Stratford Point.

History
1908 postcard

The first Stratford Point Lighthouse was built in 1822. In 1855 a fifth order lens was added to the 28-foot (8.5 m) wooden tower. In 1881, the tower and dwelling were razed and replaced with a 35-foot (11 m) tall, brick lined cast-iron tower and equipped with a third order Fresnel lens. 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 in 1990.[4]

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

References
  1. Stratford Point Lighthouse New England Lighthouses. Retrieved 23 June 2016
  2. Stratford Point The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 23 June 2016
  3. Connecticut Historic Light Station Information & Photography United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 23 June 2016
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  • "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.


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