Lighthouses in Southern Narragansett Bay

If you like lighthouses, Jamestown is a great place to visit. At least eight lighthouses can be seen from various parts of Conanicut Island. Follow these links to see numerous photographs and learn about the history of all of the nearby lighthouses.

The Lighthouse Directory provides current information on the status of all 13 active and 8 inactive Rhode Island lighthouses, including the latest news regarding access and preservation activities. It is an indispensible site for anyone who is seriously interested in these fascinating structures.

Beavertail Light, an active lighthouse on the southern tip of Conanicut Island, is an area landmark and popular nature park.The current structure dates from 1856, when a 1749 lighthouse was replaced. More information about Beavertail can be found at The Rhode Island Lights web site. This site also has material on several other area lighthouses.

Point Judith Light, an active light dating from 1857, is located on the western mainland. It guards the entrance to West Passage.

Castle Hill Light, built in 1890, is an active light on the eastern shore of the East Passage, just south of Newport. It is adjacent to the Castle Hill Cove Marina.

Rose Island Light, built in 1870, is a privately maintained aid to navigation situated just off Newport Harbor, near the Newport bridge. The first floor of the structure is a museum. It is accessible via the Jamestown Ferry.

Beavertail	Point Judith	Castle Hill	Rose Island

The Newport Harbor Light on Goat Island is another active East Passage light. Built in 1842, it marks the Newport Harbor entrance. It is located adjacent to the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Dutch Island Light, in West Passage, is on the southern tip of Dutch Island, between Conanicut Island and the western mainland. Built in 1857, the light was deactivated in 1947. It is in poor condition. The light has been leased to the Dutch Island Lighthouse Society, which is working toward its restoration.

Plum Beach Light, a sparkplug-type lighthouse built in 1857, is located north of Dutch Island, in West Passage, almost beneath the Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge, from which it can be seen clearly from the westbound side. Deactivated in 1941, following construction of the original Jamestown Bridge, it has recently been acquired by a group dedicated to its restoration, The Friends of Plum Beach Light.

Goat Island	Dutch Island	Plum Beach	Point North

The Rhode Island lighthouse menu site leads to information on a total of 30 present and former Rhode Island lights (20 of which are still standing). If you can't get enough of Beavertail, it will tell you more about the history of the light, provide more photographs, copies of old postcard views and information on the Beavertail lighthouse museum; as well as tell you about cruises that will take you past this and other lighthouses. The lighthouse menu website also offers additional information on Point Judith Light, Castle Hill Light and Rose Island Light and a listing for the decommissioned Conanicut (North Point) Light that guarded the northern tip of the island from 1886 until 1932. The lighthouse is now a private residence.

The National Park Service Maritime History Program has compiled an Inventory of Historic Light Stations in Rhode Island. Listed sites include 21 lightstations. Pictures and an information are provided for each.

The Coast Guard has a website that lists current and former Rhode Island light stations. A brief history and technical data summary is provided for each. An historic photo (or two) accompanies each description. These are often one-of-a-kind photo taken during periods of military activity at the site (WW-I and WW-II).