Home > Rhode Island > New%2BShoreham > Block Island Southeast Light, Spring Street & Mohegan Trail at Mohegan Bluffs, New Shoreham, Washington County, RI
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Item Title
Block Island Southeast Light, Spring Street & Mohegan Trail at Mohegan Bluffs, New Shoreham, Washington County, RI
LocationSpring Street & Mohegan Trail at Mohegan Bluffs,
New%2BShoreham, RI
Find maps of New%2BShoreham, RI
Created/Published
Documentation compiled after 1968.
Notes
Survey number HAER RI-27
Unprocessed field note material exists for this structure (FN-4).
Building/structure dates:
1875 initial construction
Building/structure dates:
1929 subsequent work
National Register Number: 97001264
Significance: The Block Island Southeast Lighthouse is significant as a primary aid to the navigation of an otherwise dangerous area, once referred to as the "stumbling block" of the New England coast. It marks the first island landfall for ships approaching New England from the south or southeast. It was the second light to be built on the island and the first on the south side. At the time of its completion in 1875 it was considered to be one of the finest and best equipped lighthouses on the east coast, featuring a first order Fresnel lens, the best in lighting apparatus technology. The lighthouse is also significant for its interesting design, a melding of Gothic Revival and Italianate styles taking form in an octagonal tower.
Related Names
Ball, Nicholas
Woodruff, Col. I. C.
Tynan, T. H.
Paulding,Kemble & Company
Bailey & Debevoise
Collection
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)
Contents
Photograph caption(s):
1. General view of building front looking west from area near abandoned fog signal building.
2. General view of lighthouse tower, looking northwest.
3. Northeast (side) elevation of entire building.
4. Northeast elevation of lighthouse tower, front porch and portion of main block of lightkeepers' quarters.
5. General view showing side and rear of lighthouse building, looking south.
6. Northwest (rear) elevation of building, showing kitchen wings and enclosed back porch.
7. General view showing rear and side of building, looking east.
8. Oblique view of southwestern elevation of lightkeepers' quarters.
9. Southwest (side) elevation of entire building.
10. Detail of light-tower base looking northwest.
11. Lantern of light-tower as seen from ground.
12. Interior structure on second floor at doorway between bedroom and garret over kitchen; this same ornament appears in both lightkeepers' quarters in the building.
13. Bottom floor, tower interior showing concrete floor and cast iron bases for oil butts (oil butts removed when lighthouse lamp was converted to electric power.)
14. Bottom floor, tower interior showing base of stairway to lantern; details shown of iron castings for newel post, railing, and stair treads and risers.
15. Detail of underside of watchroom floor under lantern, showing iron castings for stairway, floor support beams, and floor panels.
16. Detail of lens pedestal and underside of cast iron lantern platform.
17. Detail of lens pedestal base and bottom of watchroom stairs.
18. Detail of lens pedestal.
19. Detail of base of revolving lens assembly, showing bottom of lamp at center and brass tens framework at edges of circular platform. Mercury float bearing lies in circular well just beneath lens platform. (Blurred due to lens motion.)
20. Detail of lantern roof structure, with revolving lens beneath. (Blurred due to apparatus motion.)
21. General view of abandoned engine house for fog signal, built in 1908.
22. H.Q. Morton photograph #16, ca. 1880's, 'North Side of South Light, Showing Fog Horn, etc.'.
23. H.Q. Morton photograph #47 'South Light, Fog Horn from Bluff', (view looking NE) ca. 1880. (H. Q. Morton, Photographer, 75 Westminster Street, Providence, RI.
24. Stereo view version of Southeast Light and Mohegan Bluffs looking east from a distance, ca. 1890. From a contact print of a glass negative from the Mansfield Collection.
25. Stereo view version of Southeast Light looking NW with picket fence ca. 1890. From a contact print of a glass negative from the Mansfield Collection.
26. Photograph of original Fresnel lens a 1st order fixed white light. (Installed 1874 and first illuminated Feb. 1, 1875. This is the only known photograph of this lens - - removed in 1929.)ca. 1918.
27. Photograph of keeper with steam engine valve equipment inside fog signal building (brick wall in background) ca. 1918.
28. Photograph of interior view of fog horn signal building with two lighthouse keepers by steam engine wheel, ca. 1920.
29. Aerial view of Southeast Light Station, 1951, Official U.S. Coast Guard photograph, 1st Coast Guard District; copy courtesy Richard Anderson (HAER).
30. Aerial view of Southeast Light Station by U.S. Coast Guard, Salem, 1962, copy courtesy R. M. Downie, original negative, U.S. Coast Guard.
31. Detail of Southeast Light lens and roof structure of light gallery, 1985. Taken day after Hurricane Gloria, courtesy of Gerald F. Abbott and Block Island Historical Society.
32. Detail of U.S. Coast Guardsman repairing roof after Hurricane Gloria, 1985; courtesy of Gerald F. Abbott and Block Island Historical Society. 33. (no plate) East Elevation, Roof Repairs, Drawing # 6774, Approved 8-22- 1978. 34. (no plate) Section in Line C.C., Approved by the L. H. Board, July 9, 1873. 35. (no plate) Cellar Plan.
36. Plate 4 Cellar/First Story Plan
37. Plate 5 Second/Attic Story Plan 38. (no plate) All Four Plans
39. Plate 6 Framing Plans
40. Plate 7 Roof Framing Details
41. Plate 17 Section of lantern w/outline of fist order fixed lens. 42. (no plate) Section of first order lens from Block Island Light
43. Plate 18 Details for windows of first story in dwelling
44. Plate 19 Details for entrance steps, dormer, and caves
45. Plate 20 Details of chimneys and corbels.
46. Plate 21 Front Piazza elevations and details.
47. Plate [?] Section through back porch, elevation of back porch. 48. (no plate) Preliminary Survey of Site for light house on southeast Point of Block Island 49. (no plate) 1,000 poind Mercury Float Pedestal and clock case sheet no. 1 of 4 drawing # 5765. Approved 2-3-1916. 50. (no plate) Lens, lens pedestal, mercury float, drawing # 3101, sheet 1 of 2. Approved April 6, 1928. 51. (no plate) Lens, lens pedestal, mercury float, shade holder installation, drawing # 3101, sheet 2 of 2. Approved April 6, 1928. 52. (no plate) Electric light system, drawing # 3299. Approved April 20, 1931. 53. (no plate) Heating system, drawing # 3298. Approved April 29, 1931.
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