Southeast Light Block Island Rhode Island
On The Move
Harbour Lights #662
2003 Regional Event Exclusive
RETIRED

The Nature Conservancy calls Block Island 'One of the 12 last great places in the Western Hemisphere.' But to mariners approaching the dangerous shoals, it was often referred to as the 'stumbling block.'

In 1829, the little North Light was erected to aid ships, but there was no doubt a second light was needed at the other end of the Island. In 1872 construction of a new lighthouse on the southeast tip began.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed the appropriation and visited the site. He wanted the new lighthouse to be an architectural showcase, and it was. The brick octagonal tower and 2-1/2-story attached keepers quarters combined Italianate and Gothic Revival styles. The construction was completed in 1875 and the huge First Order Fresnel Lens was first lighted on February 1, 1875. In 1929, the beam was changed to a flashing green light to distinguish it from other lighthouses in the region, making Southeast Block the only 1st Order Fresnel Lens in the US that has a green light.

Standing 52-feet high, Southeast Block Light was the tallest and brightest sentinel in New England. When it was built, the lighthouse was approximately 150 feet above sea level, more than 350 feet back from the edge of the bluff. But over 120 years, erosion reduced the ledge to a mere 55 feet, and the majestic old beacon was in danger. The Coast Guard deactivated Southeast Block in 1990, replacing it with a steel tower, much to the dismay of those who loved this important landmark.

The Block Island Southeast Lighthouse Foundation was formed in a valiant effort to save the structure. Raising more than $2 million, the Foundation pleaded its case and won. In 1993, International Chimney Corporation of Buffalo, NY, was awarded a contract by the US Army Corps of Engineers to move the lighthouse to safety. It was a formidable task, since the tower and attached building weighed a mere 4-million pounds!

ICC formulated a unique plan. First they constructed a crisscross grid of steel beams onto which the massive structure --  including the upper portion of the original foundation -- was set. Imagine the sight of the tower and house being pushed along on tracks to its new home. The move included two direction moves to reach its destination. The 360-foot journey began in February and was completed on August 24, 1993 - still facing its original direction.

The Coast Guard reactivated Southeast Block in 1994, moving its present 1st Order Lens from Cape Lookout Light, North Carolina. Its familiar green light flashes every five seconds, just as it had for decades.

On September 25, 1997, Southeast Light was honored as a National Historic Landmark. The Block Island Southeast Lighthouse Foundation is currently working to restore the keeper’s quarters with plans to make it a Bed and Breakfast.

Southeast Block Island Light continues to be an active US Coast Guard aid to navigation. Its shoals are no less dangerous, but the reassuring flashing green light safely guides ships along their route -- 128 years after its first lighting -- a decade after its historic move.