Point Judith Lighthouse, RI - Narragansett, Rhode Island - Historic Bay Lighthouse Still Beaconing to US Coast Guard Vessels After Over 150 Years

The Point Judith Lighthouse, RI, is located at 1470 Ocean Road on the west side of the entrance to Narragansett Bay at Point Judith, a section of the town of Narragansett in the southern part of this south New England State. It is on the Point Judith station of the US Coast Guard. Its base is laid in a grassy field with a 270 degree view of the surrounding water.

The Light standing today is the third to exist at this sight, dating back to 1857. The first had been built in 1810.

The lighthouse is a 51 foot brownstone structure that is octagonal in form and rests on a granite base. The bottom section is white and the upper part brown while the area encasing the light is black. It originally connected by an enclosed walk to the brick residence of the light keeper.

The light itself has a Parisian fourth order Fresnel lens that has been in place since it was first installed in 1857.

This lighthouse is on the National Parks Service Inventory of Historic Light Stations.

It is the first Rhode Island lighthouse to have had a radio beacon installed. It was installed in 1931 but in 1974 the radio towers were removed.

Since 1954 the light is automated.

The Point Judith Lighthouse, RI is not open to the public although its grounds are open during day hours. This is one of numerous Rhode Island lighthouses that are still in service today. It continues to act as a navigational aid to the US Coast Guard. Its fog signal sounds every 15 seconds.

Its white light illuminates in a specific pattern of 5 seconds on, 2 seconds off, 2 seconds on, 2 seconds off, 2 seconds on again and 2 seconds off before the pattern starts anew. Its light is said to be visible for some 16 miles of distance.

In the year 2000, the lighthouse had its first big renovations carried out after a century, which included the repairs to the light itself, which was removed from its home. An interim light was put in its place during a four month period which was required to complete the repair work and restore the lantern to its place.

Three supporting buildings still stand on the lighthouse grounds. Those are the fog signal house, the radio beacon building and the oil house. The oldest structure at the sight is the lighthouse tower itself.

The Point Judith Lighthouse, RI is a point of interest on several sightseeing cruises on the Bay. Views of the lighthouse in the distance are also visible from the Block Island Ferry.

The lighthouse has appeared on various postcards and has received mention in numerous books on historic lighthouses in the US.

The lighthouse is leased by the Coast Guard to the Point Judith Light House Society.