Notes:
(1) The Fourth Lighthouse established in colonial America.  New London Harbor Light was built on the west side of the harbor to mark the entrance to New London Harbor at the mouth of the Thames River.  New London Harbor was another deep water seaport ideal for the anchorage of deep draft vessels safeguarded from the Atlantic Ocean by Long Island Sound and Fishers Island Sound.

      As early as 1750, some type of beacon* was erected at the entrance to the harbor to mark the perilous ledges and headlands of the river’s mouth.  By 1759, New London merchants and whaling interests decided a Lighthouse was necessary.

      In 1760, A 64-foot high hammer-dressed stone Tower was built.  The base of the Lighthouse was 24-feet in diameter and a wood frame Lantern Room exhibited a Fixed light illuminated by three spider lamps which burned 800 gallons of whale oil annually.  Interestingly, The Lighthouse was financed by Public Lottery and the Colonial Legislature placed a tax on shipping to maintain the Light and pay the keeper.

      During the Revolutionary War, New London harbor was a important home port for privateers, licensed by the State of Connecticut, capturing British supply vessels and merchant ships.  New London’s warehouses possessed great wealth due to adventurous ship owners and merchants which led to the burning of New London by British forces led by Benedict Arnold on September 6, 1781.  Amazingly, the Lighthouse survived the Revolutionary War without damage and guided successful privateers into port.

      The Lighthouse was ceded to the new Federal Government in May, 1790 after the formation of the United States Light-House Establishment per the Act of Aug 7, 1789.

      By 1799, the stone Tower had developed a 10-feet crack running vertically down from the top.  In addition, the Light from the deteriorating tower could not be seen from the west due to the high headland.  On May 5, 1800, Congress appropriated $15,700 for a new Lighthouse.  A. Woodward was awarded the contract and he began construction in the summer of 1800.  In 1801, a 89-feet high Octagonal Pyramidal smooth-hammered freestone Tower was completed.

      In 1802, New London Harbor Light was refitted with a revolving eclipser to produce a unique Intermittent Light Characteristic, five years after the first intermittent light was installed at Highland Lighthouse on Cape Cod.  During the 1800’s, New London Harbor became another shipbuilding center and whaling port.

      During the War of 1812, the Light was extinguished and a regiment of American militia defended the area.  In 1816, The Light was one of last existing Lighthouses refitted Lewis Patent Lamps and reflectors.

      In 1833, the Lighthouse was extensively renovated by Charles H. Smith who installed a new lantern and copper dome.  A new wood stairway was built, the exterior points were cemented and the Tower was white washed.  The rotating eclipser and lamps were replaced with 11 new oil lamps and parabolic reflectors in 1834.

      In 1855, the Lighthouse Board recommended a Fourth-order Fresnel lens to illuminate 315 degrees.  The Lighthouse was refitted with a fixed Fourth-order Fresnel lens manufactured in Paris by Henry Lepaute in 1857.

      In 1907, The Light was refitted with a Red Sector to alert mariners of the dangerous Sarah Ledge and surrounding shoals.  The illuminant was changed to incandescent oil vapor in 1909 and converted to acetylene gas in 1912.  The Lighthouse was converted to electric power in 1930 illuminated by a 2,200 candlepower lamp.

      On September 28, 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard decided New London Harbor Light was excess property and the Lighthouse became available for transfer of ownership under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Program (Act of 2000).

      According to the American Lighthouse Foundation, the New London Maritime Society applied for ownership of the Lighthouse in the Spring of 2004.  To date, ownership has not been transferred to any local government or nonprofit organization.

*Unfortunately, there is no information on the structure of this early beacon.

(2) [Isophase White every 6 second with Red Sector] - Isophase means a equal light and dark period, ie. Iso W 6s = 6sec White Light and 6sec No Light.

(3) The Optics were refitted in:

1857: Fourth-order Fresnel Lens, 315 degrees,
1907: Fourth-order Fresnel Lens, FW with Red sector,
1912: Changed Illuminant from incandescent oil vapor to Automatic acetylene Flasher (May 12),
1924: Fourth-order Fresnel Lens, Fl W 4s (R sector), 2,200 cp White and 660 cp Red light,
1987: Fourth-order Fresnel Lens, 500 watt Lamp, Iso W 6s (R sector) -
         6,000-candlepower White Light with a 1,300-candlepower red sector from 0° to 41°, to mark the hazardous Sarah Ledge and the shoals to the west of the Light.

(4) The Lighthouse was another site used to test new Fog Signal Technology.  In 1869, A Daboll trumpet fog signal powered by a hot-air engine, developed by C.L. Daboll, a New London inventor, was installed.

      1873 Fog Signal: Third-class Daboll trumpet, 6s Blast
      1874 Fog Signal: Second-class Daboll trumpet powered by a 18-inch Erickson hot air-engine, 6s Blast
      1883 Fog Signal: First-class Daboll trumpet, 6s Blast every 30 seconds

      On September 5, 1911, the fog signal was discontinued and moved 1-mile southeast to the New London Ledge Lighthouse.

(5) In 1760, Lucretia (Harris) Shaw and Captain Nathaniel Shaw, Jr. sold a parcel of the inherited Harris estate to the colony for the site of the Lighthouse.  In New England, it was common for the original landowner to become the First Keeper of the Lighthouse yet research is inconclusive on whether Nathaniel Shaw, Jr. became a Light Keeper.

      Captain Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., a wealthy merchant trading in the West Indies, became a important agent for naval supplies during the Revolutionary War.  At his expense, Nathaniel Shaw, Jr. sent out privateers and furnished the militia with gunpowder.  On April 9, 1776, General Washington stayed overnight at his home discussing the plans to organize a naval force and Shaw mansion served as Connecticut’s Naval Office.

      Ironically, Shaw’s home survived the British burning of New London and is currently owned by The New London Historical Society.

(6) In 1928, Keeper’s House and waterfront property was sold at auction for $7,500 to James Saint Germain.

(7) Currently, New London continues its rich maritime heritage as the home port to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy located on the bank of the Thames River, Mohegan Avenue, New London.  The Academy was established in 1876 to train cadets to be officers.

      And New London Harbor is the entrance to the New London U.S. Naval Submarine Base.  The submarine base was established in 1916 and is the home port for the naval nuclear powered submarine fleet in the Atlantic Ocean.

(8) From Pequot Avenue overlooking the private Osprey Beach, five Lighthouses can be seen on a clear day.
New London Harbor Lighthouse is nearby looking North.
Avery Point Lighthouse, a privately built brown fieldstone Tower, can viewed directly across the water.
New London Ledge Lighthouse is 1-mile Southeast marking the channel into New London Harbor.
Distant views of Race Rock Lighthouse (near Fishers Island, 6-miles South) and Little Gull Island Lighthouse.