National Register of Historic Places

Sakonnet Light Station

Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island
Listed
February 10, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83000179

About this property

Sakonnet Light, built in 1884, is a sparkplug lighthouse near Sakonnet Point, Little Compton, Rhode Island, on the eastern side of the state. The light was deactivated in 1954 after Hurricane Carol and was going to be destroyed, but local citizens protested, and eventually Carl and Carolyn Haffenreffer bought the lighthouse in 1961. Explaining his decision to purchase the lighthouse, Carl Haffenreffer said, "I was afraid someone was going to paint it pink or haul it away for scrap." The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse acquired the lighthouse in 1985, and it was reactivated by the United States Coast Guard in 1997. A $1.45 million restoration of the lighthouse it was completed in 2012. The Friends of the Sakonnet Light were awarded the 2012 Rhody Award by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission for their work.

Location

Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island
41.45323, -71.20247

Categories

ENGINEERINGARCHITECTUREMARITIME HISTORY
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 Sakonnet Light Station

This page lists Sakonnet Light Station. 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
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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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
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
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Stone House Inn
Industrial
0.9 mi
Wilbor House
Colonial
3 mi
Smith-Gardiner-Norman Farm Historic District
Modern
4.1 mi
Stonybrook Estate Historic District
Listed
4.2 mi
Clambake Club of Newport
Industrial
4.2 mi

Nearby Battles

British Occupation of Newport
1776Revolutionary War
6.3 mi
Battle of Rhode Island
1778Revolutionary War
7.2 mi
Battle of Rhode Island (1778)
1778Revolutionary War
10.5 mi
Battle of Rhode Island – Black Regiment Action
1778Revolutionary War
10.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Sakonnet Light Station listed on the National Register?

Sakonnet Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Sakonnet Light Station?

Sakonnet Light Station is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Sakonnet Light Station?

The period of significance for Sakonnet Light Station is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Sakonnet Light Station?

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