What's next for 3 RI lighthouses? National Park Service announces transfer plans
Three historic Rhode Island lighthouses are changing hands.
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed's office announced the federal government is going to officially transfer the properties to the state Department of Environmental Management and local nonprofits for historic preservation.
Applications for the transfer of ownership of the Beavertail State Park lighthouse in Jamestown, the Sandy Point lighthouse on Prudence Island and the Watch Hill lighthouse in Westerly were approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service.
“Transferring ownership to local care and ensuring the preservation of these sites is a win for the community. It ensures public access and will keep the lighthouses standing as symbolic beacons for future generations,” said Reed in a press release.
In the case of both the Beavertail lighthouse and the Sandy Point lighthouse, the U.S. Coast Guard will continue operating the lights and fog horns as active navigation aids as needed. Day-to-day operations of all three Rhode Island lighthouses, however, will be turned over to their new owners.
Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown transferred to RIDEM
Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown is the third-oldest lighthouse site in America. First built in 1749 and then rebuilt in 1856, the granite structure faces south toward Rhode Island Sound and the mouth of Narragansett Bay.
The original lighthouse was burned down by British soldiers leaving Newport in 1779, but the foundation of that structure remains. The site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and today serves as a free museum, with visitors allowed to climb to the top of the tower for panoramic ocean views.
The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association (BLMA), formed as a volunteer organization in 1993, has over the past two decades supported restoration of the property, maintained the museum, and offered educational programs. Once the transfer is finalized, RIDEM will take over management of the property.
Evan LaCross, a public affairs officer at RIDEM, told The Daily News in an email there would be no changes to the public’s experience at Beavertail State Park.
"DEM plans to continue to use this property in the same manner and to continue to offer free admission to the park, the museum, and the aquarium,” he wrote.
He further clarified, “DEM’s relationship with BLMA was codified in the application and will remain a working partnership for the stewardship of the lighthouse. DEM is grateful to all the staff and volunteers at BLMA for stewarding the lighthouse and its activities.”
Sandy Point Lighthouse on Prudence Island transferred to the Prudence Conservancy
The oldest operating lighthouse in Rhode Island, Sandy Point Lighthouse was constructed in Newport Harbor in 1823 and then moved to Prudence Island (off the coast of Portsmouth) in 1851. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The 28-foot-tall granite tower is one of only four or five lighthouses in the country still capped by a “bird cage” style lantern, which pre-dates the invention of the revolutionary Fresnel lens.
The Prudence Island Conservancy began managing the Sandy Point Lighthouse in 2001 in conjunction with the Coast Guard. The lighthouse uses solar power, remains an active part of the Coast Guard’s ATON system, and will continue to be active after the ownership transfer.
The lighthouse has not generally been open to the public over the past two decades, but Prudence Conservancy president Raymond Jenness says that will eventually change.
He told The Daily News the notion of increasing public access to the light, which has long been a landmark and a destination for the local Prudence Island community, was a part of the transfer deal from the beginning.
He said the lighthouse needs some repairs and renovations, but the Prudence Conservancy and the Prudence Island Historical and Preservation Society anticipate the lighthouse eventually being open to the public biannually, in addition to offering one-off tours upon request.
Watch Hill Lighthouse in Westerly transferred to Watch Hill Lightkeepers Association
The Watch Hill Lighthouse tower, built in 1855, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. From the 1850s until 1939, the U.S. Lighthouse Service operated the lighthouse. In 1939, that service merged with the U.S. Coast Guard, which took over operations until 1986. The nonprofit WHLKA then started to maintain the property via a temporary agreement with the Coast Guard.
The lighthouse itself is not open to the public, but the grounds are accessible via a private road (vehicles permitted only for seniors and disabled persons) and are open from 8 a.m. to sunset.
On some weekday afternoons, visitors can tour an on-site museum, which contains artifacts and photographs illustrating the site at various historic periods and also showcases the light’s original Fourth Order Fresnel Lens.
Warwick Neck lighthouse available for free transfer
Earlier this year, in May, the U.S. General Services Administration issued a Notice of Availability (NOA), making available for free transfer the Warwick Neck Lighthouse in Warwick along with five other historic lighthouses in Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Warwick Neck Lighthouse was built in 1827, automated in 1985 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It is 51 feet tall, capped with a cast iron lantern room but housing a modern light signal. Along with the lighthouse, the 0.8-acre property includes a single-family dwelling, detached garage, and storage shed. Interested parties have 60 days from July 14 to submit a steward application to the U.S. General Services Administration.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Beavertail, Prudence Island, Watch Hill lighthouses ownerships change
