National Register of Historic Places

Rose Island Lighthouse

Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island
Listed
April 9, 1987
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
87000033

About this property

The Rose Island Light, built in 1870, is on Rose Island in Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island in the United States. It is preserved, maintained and operated by The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation. One of a group of New England lighthouses built to an award-winning design by Vermont architect Albert Dow, Rose Island Light has sisters at Sabin Point, Pomham Rocks, Esopus Meadows Light and Colchester Reef. The lighthouse stands atop a bastion of Fort Hamilton, which was built in 1798-1800. The building was abandoned as a functioning lighthouse in 1970, when the Newport Bridge was constructed nearby. In 1984, the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation was founded to restore the dilapidated light on behalf of the City of Newport, which had received it for free from the United States government. In 1987, the federal government listed the lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1992 it was relit as a private aid to navigation. The lighthouse is today a travel destination, reached only by boat. For a fee to the Foundation, visitors can spend a night as a guest or a week as the "lighthouse keeper," completing many of the chores required to keep the lighthouse in good condition.

Location

Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island
41.49558, -71.34263

Categories

TRANSPORTATION
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.

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Everything a full report reveals about Rose Island Lighthouse

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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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
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Fort Hamilton Historic District
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Newport Harbor Lighthouse
Industrial
0.8 mi
US Naval War College
Listed
1 mi
Luce Hall
Industrial
1.1 mi
Covell, William King, III, House
Industrial
1.1 mi

Nearby Battles

British Occupation of Newport
1776Revolutionary War
1.6 mi
Battle of Rhode Island
1778Revolutionary War
5.1 mi
Battle of Rhode Island – Black Regiment Action
1778Revolutionary War
6.4 mi
Battle of Rhode Island (1778)
1778Revolutionary War
6.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rose Island Lighthouse listed on the National Register?

Rose Island Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 9, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Rose Island Lighthouse?

Rose Island Lighthouse is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Rose Island Lighthouse?

The period of significance for Rose Island Lighthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Rose Island Lighthouse?

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