Penfield Reef Light
1913 postcard picturing the lighthouse
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 Connecticut
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| Location |
Fairfield Connecticut United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°7′1.58″N 73°13′19.26″W / 41.1171056°N 73.2220167°WCoordinates: 41°7′1.58″N 73°13′19.26″W / 41.1171056°N 73.2220167°W |
| Year first constructed | 1874 |
| Automated | 1971 |
| Foundation | granite caisson |
| Construction | wooden tower, granite keeper's house |
| Tower shape | octagonal tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower, black lantern |
| Height | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Focal height | 51 feet (16 m) |
| Original lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | VRB-25 |
| Light source | solar power |
| Characteristic | Fl R 6s. |
| Fog signal | 1 blast every 15s. |
| Admiralty number | J0840 |
| ARLHS number | USA-590 |
| USCG number | 1-21290 |
| Managing agent |
United States Coast Guard |
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Penfield Reef Lighthouse
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| Location | Bridgeport, Connecticut |
| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| MPS | Operating Lighthouses in Connecticut MPS |
| NRHP reference # | |
| Added to NRHP | September 27, 1990 |
| Heritage | place listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
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United States Coast Guard
Penfield Reef Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Connecticut, United States, on Penfield Reef at the south side of Black Rock Harbor entrance on the Long Island Sound, off the coast of Fairfield, Connecticut. Constructed in 1874, it was one of the last offshore masonry lights. Most offshore lights built after this were cast iron towers built on cylindrical cast iron foundations.
Penfield Reef has been called one of the most treacherous areas of western Long Island Sound. The structure is about 1.1 miles (1.8 km) off Fairfield Beach, on one end of the reef.
The lighthouse's foundation, structure and roofs were in good condition, according to a 2004 Town of Fairfield report, but the wood frame supporting the balcony around the tower was in need of major repairs. Other problems include asbestos tiles on the floor, lead paint on the walls, mold in most places and decaying brick and mortar work in the basement. The U.S. Coast Guard last had the lighthouse repaired in 2003. The lighthouse is connected to a two-floor keeper's quarters built of granite and timber frames on a concrete foundation surrounded by rocks.
The Penfield Reef Light was constructed in 1874. The light is an active aid to navigation.
On December 22, 1916. Lighthouse Keeper Frederick A. Jordan (sometimes spelled Jordon) rowed a dory for the mainland, to join his family for Christmas. The sea was rough, and about 150 yards (140 m) northwest of the lighthouse, the boat capsized. Assistant Keeper Rudolph Iten said he was unable to launch a boat against a strong wind and an outgoing tide, and so he could only witness Jordan's disappearance into the water. Jordan's body was soon recovered, and Iten was absolved of blame for the death and became the next keeper.
According to a local legend, Jordan has haunted the place ever since. Iten wrote in the keeper's log that Jordan's ghost appeared two weeks later. Iten wrote that the ghost floated down the tower's stairs before dissolving into the darkness, and Iten said he found the log opened to the page that recorded the man's death. Iten also said the Penfield light began "behaving strangely" when the ghost appeared.
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Wikipedia