Bristol Ferry Light
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Bristol Ferry Quick Facts
Year Station Established: 1846
Is the Light operational? No
Year Light First Lit: 1855
Year Deactivated: 1927
Shape: Square with faux lantern
Tower Height: 34 ft.
Original Optic: 6th Order, Fresnel
Present Optic: None
Existing Keepers Quarters? Yes
Year Constructed: 1855
Number of Stories: 1.5
Architectural Style: Fed. Revival
Construction Materials: Brick
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Bristol Ferry Lighthouse Bristol, RI
More Photos
(4 photos, 124KB total download)
Last Visited: February, 2004
History:
Quietly hidden under the northern side of the Mt. Hope Bridge, the Bristol Ferry Lighthouse was commissioned in 1855 to light the narrow passage between Mt. Hope Bay and Narragansett Bay. In 1916, the light's original wooden lantern was upgraded to an iron one that was originally used in lighthouse in the Hudson River. The light was also raised 6 feet from it original height of 28 feet.
In 1927, the light was replaced by an automated light, which was then made obsolete just 3 years later due to the construction of the Mt. Hope Bridge and subsequent discontinuation of the ferry service that connected the East Bay to Aquidneck Island. In 1928, the government removed the lighthouse's light and the property was sold. The light has remained in private hands since that time. It most recently changed hands again in 2000, when it sold for over $400,000.
Source:
New England Lighthouses - A Virtual Guide
Latitude/Longitude: 41.643041,-71.260469
Nearest Address: 7 Old Ferry Rd, Bristol, RI
Directions:
- The lighthouse sits under the Mt. Hope Bridge in Bristol.
- From the south take Route 24 to Route 114 and head north over the Mt. Hope bridge.
- From the north take Route 114 south through Bristol.
- Just north of the Mt. Hope bridge turn east onto Old Ferry Rd.
- There are "no parking" signs at the end of Old Ferry Rd at the bridge. There is a Roger Williams University parking lot near the end of the road. It requires a parking permit sticker, however on the weekends the lot is relatively empty so parking there is possible.
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