National Register of Historic Places

Greens Ledge Lighthouse

Rowayton, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Listed
May 28, 1990
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89001468

About this property

Greens Ledge Lighthouse (also known as Greens Ledge Light, or Rowayton Lighthouse) is a historic offshore lighthouse in the western Long Island Sound near Norwalk, Connecticut and Darien, Connecticut. It is one of 33 sparkplug lighthouses still in existence in the United States and remains an active aid to navigation. It sits in ten feet of water on the west end of Greens Ledge, a shallow underwater reef that runs a mile west of Sheffield Island and is roughly a mile south of the entrance to Five Mile River at Rowayton. Completed in 1902 by the Philadelphia Construction Company, the cast-iron structure is approximately 90 feet tall including roughly 15 feet of the submerged caisson. In 1933, more than 30,000 tons of rocks from the excavation of Radio City Music Hall were added to the riprap foundation. The light was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Greens Ledge Lighthouse on May 29, 1990. In 2017, Greens Ledge was acquired from the US Government by the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established by a group of local residents with the mission of restoring and preserving the lighthouse. The acquisition was made through a founding donation by The Pettee Family and restoration began in June 2018 to address the critical structural deficiencies of the lighthouse.

Location

Rowayton, Fairfield County, Connecticut
41.04162, -73.44399

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Greens Ledge Lighthouse

This page lists Greens Ledge Lighthouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Greens Ledge Lighthouse report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Norwalk Island Lighthouse
Industrial
1.4 mi
Oysterman's Row
Listed
1.5 mi
Rock Ledge
Industrial
1.8 mi
Five Mile River Landing Historic District
Listed
2.1 mi
Village Creek
Listed
2.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Burning of Norwalk (1779)
1779Revolutionary War
5.6 mi
Battle of Ridgefield — Compo Hill Landing
1777Revolutionary War
7.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Greens Ledge Lighthouse listed on the National Register?

Greens Ledge Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Greens Ledge Lighthouse?

Greens Ledge Lighthouse is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Greens Ledge Lighthouse?

The period of significance for Greens Ledge Lighthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Greens Ledge Lighthouse?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Greens Ledge Lighthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Fairfield County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Fairfield County.

Explore FairfieldCounty ›

More historic places in Connecticut

Browse all historic places in Connecticut.

View Connecticuthistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Connecticut history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Connecticuthistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Greens Ledge Lighthouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report