The magnificent island 14 miles off the Rhode Island shore is a popular
vacation spot sometimes called the "Bermuda of the North," for its sandy
beaches and storybook setting. But Block Island has also hosted some of
the Northeast’s most violent storms.
Between 1819 and 1838, 59 vessels were wrecked on or near Block Island.
The first lighthouse was built on this spot in 1829 to mark the entrances
to Block Island Sound and Long Island Sound. The dangerous shoals of
Sandy Point extended several miles from the island and two years after the
first sentinel was completed, the schooner "Warrior" was wrecked at Sandy
Point and 21 people died.
Because the 45-foot tower was threatened by the ocean’s force, a new
lighthouse was built in 1837 further inland. As with the first sentinel,
lights were placed at either end of the building. However, they proved to
be too dim and a third structure was built in 1857. This one also fell
victim to the shifting sands.
The fourth and current structure was built in 1867 at a cost of $15,000,
700 yards from the end of the island’s northern point. While prior
sentinels had been known as Sandy Point Light, the new lighthouse was
named Block Island North Light. It is built of granite with an iron tower
rising 55-feet from one end of the two-story building. From a distance,
the structure resembles a church or schoolhouse with bell tower, but on
closer inspection, this traditional architecture is similar to many other
lighthouses built along the east coast at about the same time. The new
lighthouse was outfitted with a kerosene-run Fourth Order Fresnel Lens.
The fixed white light could be seen for 13 miles. It was later changed to
a flashing white light and electrified during the 1940s.
The beacon was automated in 1956 and the last Coast Guard keeper and his
family departed. In 1973 North Light was deactivated and replaced by a
skeleton tower a short distance away. Acquired by the US Fish and
Wildlife Service, the lighthouse and surrounding acres became a wildlife
refuge. The structure fell victim to vandals over the next 11 years,
until the structure and two acres were sold to the town of New Shoreham
for $1.
In 1989, the town received a Federal Grant of $400,000 to restore the
lighthouse and formed the North Light Commission. The Commission
petitioned the Coast Guard to move the optic from the skeleton tower back
into the lighthouse. On August 5, 1989 Block Island North Light was
relit and the restored first floor turned into a museum. Among its
historic maritime treasures is the lighthouse’s original Fresnel Lens.
Block Island is accessible by ferry from several points, and it is a
20-minute walk along the picturesque sandy beach to the lighthouse. While
the museum and interpretive center is located on the first floor, the
tower is not open to the public. For more information, contact Block
Island North Light Association, PO Box 1662, Block Island, RI 02807.
