In 1875, Congress authorized $10,000 to build a fog signal at Castle Hill as an aid to mariners making their way through the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. Unfortunately, the renowned Harvard Professor and Zoologist Alexander Aggasiz built a summer home on the proposed site a year earlier and refused to sell. Landowners in the Castle Hill area banded together in opposition of a fog bell sounding on their “doorstep.”

In 1886, a lighthouse was proposed along with the fog bell, and the following year, Aggasiz agreed to sell a portion of his land to the Government but with a caveat: the Government was refused the right to pass through his property to reach the lighthouse site. Castle Hill is steep and rocky, making it nearly impossible for a boat to land, and it was another year before the Professor granted a right-of-way. The following year, construction finally got underway.

Nestled in the rocky outcropping of the rugged Rhode Island coastline, the 34-foot granite lighthouse was lit in May 1890. The 5th Order Fresnel Lens shone a flashing red light that was visible for ten miles. The infamous fog bell was in operation for only a year and a half before Aggasiz’ complaints succeeded in shutting it down, but when a larger, louder bell was installed five years later, a screen was installed to lessen the sound and overcome Aggasiz objections.

Originally, the little tower was left gray, but in 1899, the upper half was painted white. The keepers quarters still exist, according to some reports, and are privately owned. However, the National Park Service records show that the house was destroyed in 1938.

In 1957, the light was automated and a 300 mm optic replaced the Fresnel Lens. Still an active aid to navigation, Castle Hill Light is not open to public. That doesn’t deter lighthouse lovers from traversing the rocky Narragansett Bay by boat or taking a walk from the beautiful Castle Hill Inn to get a closer view of this rare and charming sentinel. The experience also includes one of the most magnificent scenic panoramas on the Atlantic coast!