Stratford Point Light
Encyclopedia
Stratford Point Light is a historic lighthouse
in Stratford
, Connecticut
,
United States, at the mouth of the Housatonic River
. The second tower was one of the first prefabricated cylindrical lighthouses in the country and remains active.
It sits on a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) tract at the southeastern tip of Stratford Point.
. The light was automated in 1970 with a modern beacon. It is an active aid to navigation and is used for Coast Guard housing.
The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on June 29, 1990.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Stratford
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
,
United States, at the mouth of the Housatonic River
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
. The second tower was one of the first prefabricated cylindrical lighthouses in the country and remains active.
It sits on a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) tract at the southeastern tip of Stratford Point.
History
The first Stratford Point Lighthouse was built in 1822. In 1855 a fifth order lens was added to the 28 feet (8.5 m) wooden tower. In 1881, the tower and dwelling were razed and replaced with a 35 feet (10.7 m) tall, brick lined cast-iron tower and equipped with a third order Fresnel lensFresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
. The light was automated in 1970 with a modern beacon. It is an active aid to navigation and is used for Coast Guard housing.
The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 29, 1990.