Newport, RI
Built 1890
34 feet high, 40 feet above the water.

What if the federal government decided to build a lighthouse in your front yard? A 19th century scholar used his clout to keep the noisy fog bell quiet, but this unique light was built and still survives on the Rhode Island coast.

Jeremy's Lighthouse Guide #7

In 1874, Harvard zoologist Alexander Agassiz built a luxurious summer cottage in Newport, Rhode Island, near the east entrance to the Narragansett Bay. A year later the government informed him that they wanted the land for a fog bell station.

Agassiz refused to sell his property. He and other local landowners did not want a fog bell sounding "at their very doors." Eventually, a lighthouse was proposed along with the fog bell. In 1889 Agassiz begrudgingly sold a portion of his land to the government.

There is some evidence that the noted architect H.H. Richardson, best known for Boston’s Trinity Church, may have had some input into the design of this unusual granite tower, which seems to grow right out of the rock on which it stands. The keeper's house was a short walk away at Castle Hill Cove.

The station’s fog bell remained in operation for only a year and a half when it was discontinued at Agassiz's request. Five years later a larger, louder bell was installed and Agassiz again complained. This time a screen was set up to soften the sound.

A short walk through the woods from the parking area at the Castle Hill Inn will get you to the lighthouse. The ruggedly handsome stone lighthouse and panoramic view are worth going out of your way for. You can also view Castle Hill Light from some of the sightseeing cruises available in Newport.

For a detailed HISTORY of Castle Hill lighthouse visit Lighthouse.cc

Photos and article above fromJeremy D'Entremont.

Copyright 2004 by Jeremy D'Entremont, New England Lighthouses
Photos are the property of the author and may not be used without permission.