I've tried, when choosing a Lighthouse of the Week here, to choose lesser-known ones, though I have regularly featured some of the iconic lighthouses of the world. I've been doing this for a couple of years now, and I'm frequently surprised when I haven't featured a well-known lighthouse.
This is one that is truly iconic, both because it is unusual and because of where it is located. And it is also one of the lighthouses that I have actually visited in person.
The lighthouse is the Castle Hill Light in Newport, Rhode Island. Rhode Island, despite its size, has a lot of coastline, so it has a lot of lighthouses, too -- fifteen officially. Unofficially, I think Newport has five: Newport Harbor, Rose Island, Lime Rock, Gull Rocks, and Castle Hill. At least that's what it looks like on the map.
Castle Hill looks like it is a natural growth out of the rock of a coastline bluff. It isn't tall (34 feet), so it appears to blend in with the bluff from certain angles. It is associated with the Castle Hill Inn.
There is a nice history here from New England Lighthouses, which also has a couple of interior pictures and close-ups.
History of Castle Hill Lighthouse, Newport, RI
Some of the highlights of the history:
- Before the lighthouse, there was a watchtower on Castle Hill, built in 1740.
- While the lighthouse was considered a good idea for that location, one problem was that biologist and industrialist Alexander Agassiz built both a home and laboratory there. To build the lighthouse, the government had to "convince" Agassiz to give up some land. He finally did, and the lighthouse was built in 1889-1890. It was originally equipped with a fifth-order Fresnel lens.
- The Agassiz house is now the core of the Castle Hill Inn and Resort.
OK, having covered the basics (and if you're interested, you can read the whole history), here are five pictures of this famous lighthouse/landmark.
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| Note human at right for scale |
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| by Thomas Schoeller, for Fine Art America |
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