Great Captain Island Light
The light in 1935 (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
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 Connecticut
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| Location |
Greenwich Connecticut United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°58′57″N 73°37′23″W / 40.982479°N 73.623006°WCoordinates: 40°58′57″N 73°37′23″W / 40.982479°N 73.623006°W |
| Year first constructed | 1830 (first) 1868 (second) |
| Year first lit | 1970 (current) |
| Automated | 1970 |
| Deactivated | 1970-2011 (second) |
| Foundation | stone basement |
| Construction | granite and wooden tower (second) metal skeletal tower (current) |
| Tower shape | octagonal prism tower with balcony and lantern (second) square parallelepiped tower with light and daymark (current) |
| Height | 51 feet (16 m) (second) 62 feet (19 m) (current) |
| Focal height | 51 feet (16 m) (second) 62 feet (19 m) (current) |
| Original lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens (1858) |
| Current lens | FA-251 optic |
| Light source | solar power |
| Characteristic | Fl G 5s. (second) Fl WR 6s. (current) |
| Admiralty number | J0904 (current) |
| ARLHS number | USA-346 (second) |
| USCG number | 1-21401 (second) 1-21400 (current) |
| Managing agent |
Town of Greenwich |
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Great Captain Island Light
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| Nearest city | Greenwich, Connecticut |
| NRHP Reference # | 91000351 |
| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1991 |
Town of Greenwich
Great Captain Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Great Captain Island in the western Long Island Sound off the coast of Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. Built in 1829, the first lighthouse, made of stone, was of such poor construction that the walls were severely cracked a decade later. In 1868, a new granite dwelling with attached lantern was completed. The lighthouse is of the same design as lighthouses at Sheffield Island in Norwalk; Morgan Point in Noank; Old Field Point Light and Plum Island in New York; and Block Island North in Rhode Island. In 1890, a fog whistle was added, in 1905 a siren was installed. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1970 when a skeletal tower replaced it. The Town of Greenwich acquired the property in 1973 and had full-time caretakers on the site until the lighthouse became too dilapidated in 2003. A successful restoration effort was completed in 2009 and a non-navigational light was activated in 2012. In 2010, a memorial plaque was installed to "honor the 23 people who lived in Greenwich, or had a connection to the town", who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. In 1991, the Great Captain Island Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1829, the federal government purchased 3.5 acres of land on the southeast part of Great Captain Island from Samuel Lyons, prior to the site being selected for a lighthouse. The other contending site, Stamford Point, became the subject of a 50-year-long dispute between Connecticut and New York over its ownership, Connecticut eventually prevailed. Completed in 1829, the 30-foot (9.1 m) stone lighthouse was built by Charles H. Smith for $3455.17 and it had a five-room keeper's house. By 1838, it was clear the construction was of poor quality and the walls were cracking. However, the structure remained in use until the new tower was completed in 1868. The original light was composed of 10 lamps with reflectors, but it was upgraded to a fourth Fresnel lens in 1858. As a result of the new installation, the light changed to a fixed white light.
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Wikipedia