Notes:
(1) Point Judith Light was built to mark Point Judith and the entrance to Rhode Island Sound (North of the Point) and Block Island Sound (South of the Point) and navigating around the point was perilous due to heavy seas and dense fog.

      Point Judith is another perilous landfall along the Atlantic coast which many local mariners called the point another “Graveyard of the Atlantic” due to the rough seas and rocky shoals caused many shipwrecks.  As early as the American Revolution, a beacon tower guarded the point to warn ships of the hazardous shoals.

      In 1810, a octagonal wood Tower with 12 fixed lights was built by Daniel S. Way.  The Lighthouse was destroyed by the great gale of September 17, 1815.

      In 1816, a 35-feet high stone Tower was constructed by William Ellery.  The base of the tower was 23.83-feet wide tapering to 13-feet wide at the top.  The Lighthouse exhibited a revolving light 74-feet above sea level visible for 14-miles.  The revolving illuminating apparatus, manufactured in Paris, France, used 10 oil lamps with 8.5-inch reflectors and plano-convex lenses.  The lamps were arranged in a cluster of five around two circular copper tables and a 288-pound weight mechanism revolved the Light every 2-minutes and 24-seconds.  A revolving light was needed to distinguish Point Judith from Beavertail Light.

      In 1857, a third Lighthouse was erected due in part to a poor inspection report by Lieutenant George M. Bache who stated the second tower was damp and the moisture condenses and freezes upon the glass of the lantern frequently in the cold weather.  The thick ice dimmed the light and frequent shipwrecks continued around the point.  A 51-feet high octagonal brownstone Tower and brick Keeper’s house was constructed with a enclosed walkway connecting both structures.  The Lighthouse was fitted with Fourth-order 360ƒ Fresnel Lens, manufactured in Paris, Revolving White and illuminated by a single brass oil lamp.


      In 1867, a 26-inch diameter Daboll trumpet fog signal powered by a 4-horsepower Wilcox hot-air engine was installed.  In 1873, The Fog signal was replaced by 2 First-class Steam Sirens after numerous complaints that the Daboll trumpet could not be heard over the sound of the surf.

      During the early 20th century, navigation around the point was four times greater than the shipping entering New York Harbor.  To further distinguish the Lighthouse, the Day-mark of the Tower was changed to a brown top band above a white band in 1899.  In 1907, the optic was refitted with a new Fourth-order Fresnel Lens and the illuminant was changed from oil to incandescent oil vapor increasing the Light’s intensity to 24,000 candlepower.

      To further aid the busy navigation, Point Judith Harbor of Refuge was created by the construction of three breakwaters marked by acetylene lights.  In 1910, the Army Corps of Engineers completed construction of three miles of stone breakwaters in the open ocean to provide a refuge for navigation between Boston and New York during inclement weather.  The harbor also became one of the largest fishing ports.

      On September 21, 1938, Point Judith Light withstood the powerful forces of the Great Hurricane of 1938 yet, Whale Rock Lighthouse, located 6-miles north of Point Judith, was destroyed by the devastating tidal surge.  Narragansett Bay was worst hit with most coastal homes, marinas and yacht clubs destroyed by a 15-feet storm surge.  No damage occurred to the 81-year old Lighthouse at Point Judith.

      During World War II, Point Judith became part of the Eastern Coastal Defense Shield guarding the west side of Narragansett Bay.  Sixteen inch guns were located in an area now called Fisherman’s Memorial State Park with smaller fortifications located along the shore line (see Note 4).


      From April to July, 2000, the Lighthouse was renovated. Cracks were repaired, mortar joints were resealed, and some stones were replaced in the Tower.  The Lantern Room was removed and refurbished by the Campbell Construction of Beverly, Massachusetts.

      Since 1810, Point Judith Lighthouse has been a important navigational aid to the development of Newport and Providence by guiding merchant ships, whaleboats, fishing vessels, steamers, cargo ships, and oil tankers entering Narragansett Bay.

(2) Optics Refitted:
1810: A eclipser obscured the Light for 20 seconds every 2.5 minutes.
1838: 10 Lamps with 8.5" Reflectors, Revolving White
1842: 10 Lamps with 9" Reflectors, Revolving White
1857: Fourth-order 360° Fresnel Lens, Revolving White
1891: Fourth-order Fresnel Lens, Flashing White every 10 seconds
1907: Fourth-order Fresnel Lens, Flashing White every 15 seconds
1939: Fourth-order Fresnel Lens, Fixed White, 15,000 cp Electric
1987: Fourth-order Fresnel Lens, Occulting White every 15 seconds

(3) Fog Signals:
1867: Daboll trumpet, Wilcox hot-air engine
1873: First-class Steam Siren

      On Nov 11, 1931, a Radiobeacon was established and transmitted a Morse Code Identification signal, PJ (._ _. ._ _) at 325-kHz to a range of 10 miles.  During poor visibility, a ship’s radio direction finder receives the signal to determine the direction to the source on a navigational chart and uses the direction of the Lighthouse to determine his position.  Radiobeacons allowed ships to navigate in the fog or stormy weather without the aid of a Fog horn.  Point Judith’s radiobeacon was discontinued in 1974 and the two unsafe 60-feet high radio towers were demolished.

(4) Interesting side note: On May 5, 1945, the last German U-boat was destroyed two miles off the coast of Point Judith after the U-boat torpedoed the American ship, SS Black Point, two days before the end of World War II.

(5) Directions from Providence: From I-195 W / US-6 W, Turn onto I-95 S (12-miles).  Turn onto RI-4 South (9.9-miles) toward North Kingston and Turn a slight Right onto US-1 South (Tower Hill Rd) for 7.4 miles.  Turn onto RI-108 South (Point Judith Road) past the turn-off to Galilee and the Block Island ferry to Point Judith (4.4-miles).  At the end of Rt 108, turn right onto Ocean Road and drive to the southern end of Ocean Road (0.5-mile).

      Park in the Lot next to the Light Station and enter the grounds of the Lighthouse through the Pedestrian Gate (next to Main Entrance Gate for Coast Guard Personnel only).