Hidden · Newport, United States
Rose Island Light
A small lighthouse in Narragansett Bay, built on top of an old fort, reached by boat and cared for by a foundation that also offers overnight stays.
A lighthouse on the bastion of a fort.
Rose Island Light stands on Rose Island in Narragansett Bay, at Newport, Rhode Island. It was built in 1870 and is one of a group of New England lighthouses raised to an award-winning design by Vermont architect Albert Dow. Its sister lights are at Sabin Point, Pomham Rocks, Esopus Meadows and Colchester Reef.
The tower does not stand on bare ground. It rises from a bastion of Fort Hamilton, which was built between 1798 and 1800, so the island layers a 19th-century lighthouse over an earlier defensive work. Today the light is preserved, maintained and operated by The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation.
Abandoned, rescued and relit.
The lighthouse stopped working as a navigation light in 1970, when the Newport Bridge was built nearby. The building was left to decay. The City of Newport had received it for free from the United States government, and in 1984 the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation was founded to restore it on the city's behalf.
The recognition came in steps: the federal government listed the lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and in 1992 it was relit as a private aid to navigation. It is now a travel destination reached by boat. The foundation has offered visitors a night as a guest or a week as the lighthouse keeper, doing many of the chores that keep the building in good shape.
The lighthouse, its lens and the bridge nearby.
Practical notes.
Before you go.
How do you get to Rose Island Light?
By boat. The lighthouse stands on Rose Island in Narragansett Bay, off Newport. Check the foundation's official website for current boat service and landing rules.
When was Rose Island Light built?
In 1870. It stands on a bastion of Fort Hamilton, which dates from 1798 to 1800.
Why did it stop working as a lighthouse?
It was retired in 1970, when the Newport Bridge was built nearby. It was relit in 1992 as a private aid to navigation.
Can you stay overnight?
The foundation that runs the light has offered stays of one night as a guest or a week as the lighthouse keeper. Check its official website for what is currently available.
Around Newport
Walking tours, day trips and experiences around this area, on GetYourGuide.