Block Island North Light

Block Island North Light

Block Island North Light, built in 1867, is a historic lighthouse on Block Island, Rhode Island. The current structure at Sandy Point is the fourth lighthouse built on the site and was made of granite and iron in 1867. The light was deactivated in 1973 and United States Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the lighthouse. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

After years of neglect, the lighthouse, along with two acres of land, was sold to New Shoreham in 1984 for 1USD. Following much renovation by the North Light Commission, it was relighted in 1989, and a museum opened on the first floor in 1993. Then, in 2008 the light underwent restoration at Georgetown Ironworks in Massachusetts and was returned in 2009. Finally, on 23 October 2010, a relighting ceremony took place.

The building is made of brown granite. The tower is octagonal in shape, 55 feet (17 m) in height, and provides a focal plane height of 61 feet (19 m). It contains a fourth-order Fresnel lens, which flashes white light every five seconds, and has a range of 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi).

The lighthouse does not have a foghorn.

Location

Sandy Point, Rhode Island
USA

Getting There

The Block Island North Light is located on Block Island, Rhode Island, and is accessible by ferry or plane. There is no public transportation directly to the lighthouse, but there are several options to get to Block Island.

If you are coming from Providence, Rhode Island, you can take the RIPTA bus to the Block Island Ferry Terminal in Point Judith and then take a ferry to Block Island. The ferry ride takes about an hour. Once you arrive on the island, you can rent a bike or take a taxi to the Block Island North Light, which is located on the northern tip of the island.

If you are coming from other parts of Rhode Island or nearby states, you can drive to the Block Island Ferry Terminal in Point Judith and take a ferry to the island. Alternatively, you can take a flight from Westerly State Airport or New Bedford Regional Airport to Block Island State Airport, which is located on the island. From there, you can rent a bike or take a taxi to the Block Island North Light.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Rhode Island that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.