Stratford Point Light

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**Stratford Point Light**
Stratford Point Lighthouse
Location:	Stratford, Connecticut
Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS)	Latitude: 41.1517 Longitude: -73.1033
Foundation:	Concrete
Construction:	Cast Iron with Brick lining
Year first lit:	1881
Year first constructed:	1822
Automated:	1970
Tower shape:	Conical
Height:	35 ft
Original lens:	Third order Fresnel lens
Characteristic:	white flashes every 20 s

Stratford Point Light is a historic lighthouse in Stratford, Connecticut, United States, at the mouth of the Housatonic River. The second tower was one of the first prefabricated cylindrical lighthouses in the country and remains active.

It sits on a four-acre tract at the southeastern tip of Stratford Point.

[edit] History

The first Stratford Point Lighthouse was built in 1822. In 1855 a fifth order lens was added to the 28-foot wooden tower. In 1881, the tower and dwelling were razed and replaced with a 35 foot tall, brick lined cast-iron tower and equipped with a third order Fresnel lens. The light was automated in 1970 with a modern beacon. It is an active aid to navigation and is used for Coast Guard housing.

The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 29th, 1990.

[edit] References

"Lights & Legends, A Historical Guide to Lighthouses of Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, and Block Island Sound", Harlan Hamilton, Westcott Publishing Company, 1987.
"Northeast Lights: Lighthouses and Lightships, Rhode Island to Cape Mary, New Jersey", Robert G. Bachand, Sea Sports Publications, 1989.
"Lighthouses of Southern New England: Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, A Pictorial Guide", Courtney Thompson, CatNap Publications, 2002.