Stratford Point Light

Stratford Point Light

Stratford Point Lighthouse
Location	Stratford, Connecticut
Coordinates	41°09′06″N 73°06′12″W / 41.1517°N 73.1033°W / 41.1517; -73.1033Coordinates: 41°09′06″N 73°06′12″W / 41.1517°N 73.1033°W / 41.1517; -73.1033
Year first constructed	1822
Year first lit	1881
Automated	1970
Foundation	Concrete
Construction	Cast Iron with Brick lining
Tower shape	Conical
Height	35 ft (11 m)
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 4-acre (1.6 ha) tract at the southeastern tip of Stratford Point.

History

The first Stratford Point Lighthouse was built in 1822. In 1855 a fifth order lens was added to the 28-foot (8.5 m) wooden tower. In 1881, the tower and dwelling were razed and replaced with a 35-foot (11 m) 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 29, 1990.

1908 postcard

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Connecticut

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.

External links

• lighthouse.cc: Stratford Point Light
• lighthousefriends.com: Inventory of Historic Light Stations
• NPS.gov: Stratford Point, CT
• Location on Google Maps
• Stratford Point Lighthouse

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