Rose Island Lighthouse
Newport, Rhode Island
Built in 1870
Location:
Newport Harbor on Rose Island, about a mile offshore. Daily trips to the lighthouse are offered during the summer months, and opportunities to stay overnight are available.
Latitude: 41° 29' 44" N
Longitude: 71° 20' 34" W
Historic Stories:
During the Revolutionary War, Rose Island was used use by both the British and the Colonists to defend Newport. After the Revolution, in 1794, Congress authorized fortifications at key harbors, which included Narragansett Bay, as part of the American Seacoast Defense System. French engineers were enlisted to create the largest fort called Fort Hamilton, which was only partially completed. For decades there was little military construction on the island. However, the island served as a quarantine station for victims of cholera in the 1820s and for those stricken with yellow fever in the 1850s.
By the time the Civil War had ended, Rhode Island saw an increase in shipping traffic and tourism between Newport, Boston, and New York. Construction began on Rose Island Lighthouse in 1869, completed in 1870, with its first keeper, George C. Williams, a Civil War veteran, as many appointees were in those days.
The island's construction of buildings to store explosives began in 1883. These storage facilities would later be used during World War II for torpedoes made by the Goat Island factory nearby.
Charles Curtis became keeper in 1887, and his 31-year stay would be the longest in Rose Island's history.
In 1894, the steamer Plymouth ran aground on Rose Island. Luckily all 700 passengers on board were offloaded with no injuries, but the ship remained stranded on the island for several weeks, and became quite a tourist attraction.
| At Rose Island, the keepers grew crops and kept farm animals. |  Early Rose Island Light |
These curious animals would sometimes wander from the lighthouse grounds into the military compound, causing some friction between the two posts.
|
The Newport Harbor area can be engulfed in fog quite often. On August 7, 1958, two tankers collided in heavy fog near Fort Adams and burst into flames, killing 18 men. |
One of the ships, the Graham, floated into Newport Harbor with the high tide ablaze in flames, passing within 200 yards of the Rose Island Light, thus forcing the keepers to flee the station. Luckily, the tide and wind then turned way from the shore and took the ship away from the lighthouse.
With the building of the Newport Bridge in 1971, the lighthouse was closed and left to deteriorate over the years.
| The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation was formed in 1984, as Newport acquired the lighthouse, for restoration and maintenance. | 
|
After years of consistent restoration, Rose Island Lighthouse was relit in 1993
Hauntings at Rose Island
As the island was a quarantine site for many years, the Fort Hamilton barracks and lighthouse are believed to be inhabited by the souls of some of those who succumbed to illness there. Footsteps, slamming doors, and other noises have been heard around the barracks and sometimes around the lighthouse. During the hurricane of 1938, huge tidal surges washed over the island, and uncovered some of the bodies of those who were buried, which were reburied on the island. Some believe these events may have become a catalyst of sightings and noises reported afterward, due to the restlessness of these spirits.
Many believe the lighthouse is also haunted by former lighthouse keeper Charles Curtis, who stayed with his wife for 31 years. Many reports believe his ghost walks around the lighthouse still, as footsteps are heard around midnight coming down the tower stairs and usually stop in the kitchen. Members of the TV show Ghost Hunters were invited to explore in 2010 and found activity in the lighthouse, keeper's quarters, outside the barracks of the fort, and in one of the quarantine rooms.
Places to Visit Nearby:
The lighthouse and grounds are open daily during the summer months, with transportation to the island available aboard the Jamestown-Newport Ferry, which also makes stops at Jamestown, Newport, and Fort Adams.
| Guests can stay overnight up to a week as keepers. | 
|
The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation provides tours and information on day trips or overnight stays.
 |
Newport is Rhode Island’s gateway for tourists with concerts and events. |
Newport plays host to a number of festivals during the summer months, including the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport special waterfront events like the Great Chowder Cook Off, the Newport Folk Festival, the Newport International Film Festival, and the Newport International Boat Show.
| Visitors can also choose from the many tours offered of Newport's elegant elaborate mansions. | 
Breakers Mansion |
These were the rich and famous that shaped America’s 19th and 20th centuries, many of these are along Bellview Ave.
There are also tours of the Newport Vineyards for wine tasting. Belcourt Castle offers a unique opportunity to step back in time and enjoy the atmosphere of the Gilded Age.
The Cliff Walk is 3.5 miles along an elevated path, where you'll get the chance to see the many mansions that define Newport along with picturesque views of the harbor. It begins at First Beach, or Easton's Beach, Newport's largest public beach with amusements, and finishes at the private Bailey's Beach. Newport offers plenty of beaches for visitors.
Other walks in Newport include the Newport Harbor Walk and the Ten Mile Ocean Drive with many of those miles you have public access to the shoreline, starting at the Breakers mansion.
 |
For a family treat head a litle northward in nearby Portsmouth RI, visit the Green Animals Topiary Garden estate. |
Visitors will find 21 of the 80 topiary trees in the gardens are sculpted in the likeness of various animals.
Stay Overnight
The current lighthouse serves as a living museum for tourists who would like to stay overnight and perform some of the lighthouse duties as the previous keepers did. The "guest keeper" program was established to help pay for the maintenance of the lighthouse.
Reservations can be made for a room on the first floor museum, in the keeper’s quarters, in the barracks by the old Fort Hamilton, or the fog horn house. For those who are looking to become keepers for a week there are light chores, like mowing the grass, painting, and raising the flag. Duties that a keeper would perform on a routine basis.
Contact Info:
Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation
P.O. Box 1419
Newport, RI 02840-0997
Phone: (401) 847-4242
Local Boat Tours and Ferries
Jamestown Newport Ferry
Operates daily during the tourist season with stops between Ann Street Pier, Perrotti Park, Fort Adams, Rose Island, and Jamestown. Visitors and can be dropped off and picked up by the ferry.
Lighthouses include: Goat Island and Rose Island.
1 East Ferry Wharf
Jamestown, RI 02835
Phone: (401) 423-9900
Email: info@cruiseri.com
Coastal Queen Cruises
Offers weekly, narrated, lighthouse boat tours that surround the Newport Harbor and lower Narragansett Bay area. You'll have close up views of Rose Island Lighthouse, Castle Hill Light, Goat Island (Newport Harbor) Lighthouse and more. Tour boat provides maximum comfort with a weatherproof interior that can be heated on chilly days.
5 Bowen's Landing, Bowen's Wharf
Newport, RI 02840
Phone: (401) 423-9900 x1
Email: info@cruiseri.com
Rhode Island Fast Ferry
Offers weekly lighthouse tours in season. Their narrated high-speed ferry cruises cover ten Rhode Island lighthouses in Narragansett Bay. They also provde ferry services to Martha's Vineyard and Block Island. On Martha's Vineyard, they provide a narrated 2.5-hour sightseeing island tour on a scheduled bus.
1347 Roger Williams Way
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Phone: (401) 295-4040
Email: info@fastferry.com
Save the Bay Tours
Organization for education on lighthouse and coastal preservation and provides nature and seal watching tours. For those who prefer a relaxing tour, they provide an extensive 7-hour Ultimate Lighthouse Tour covering most of the lighthouses in Narragansett Bay. The cruise includes a stopover lunch to explore the grounds of Rose Isand Lighthouse.
100 Save the Bay Drive, Providence, RI 02905
Phone: (401) 272-3540 x103
Snappa Charters
Offers specific lighthouse tours around Narragansett Bay and to Block Island in addition to other adventure tours like sport fishing, whale watching, and shark tagging.
Mailing Address: 2 Congdon Dr., Wakefield, RI 02816
Boat Location: 33 State Street, Narragansett, RI 02882
Boat/Cell (401) 487-9044
Email: snappacharters@cox.net
Newport Classic Cruises
Newport Harbor excursions aboard a newly restored Elco Motor Yacht, called the Rumrunner, built during prohibition in 1929 for local bootleggers, or go sailing on the 72-foot Schooner Madeleine, the 80-foot Schooner Adirondack II, or 48-foot Sloop Eleanor, which include sunset sails. All offer views by the Newport lighthouses.
22 Bowens Wharf, Newport RI 02840
Main Office: 401-862-8441
Tickets: (401) 847-0000
Books to Explore
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: This book provides special human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses of the south New England states, along with plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions to explore, and tours. You'll find detailed stories about rescues from Ida Lewis, the local hero, and plenty of other local stories. There are over 360 images to enjoy as well. Look inside! |
|
Available in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
Enjoy a 10% discount on the hardcover version. Printed and distributed globally by IngramSpark. |
The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships: Stories of the Six and Seven-Masted Coal Schooners of New England In the early 1900s, New England shipbuilders constructed the world’s largest sailing ships amid social and political reforms. These giants of sail were built to carry massive quantities of coal and building supplies, and measured longer than a football field! This book, balanced with plenty of color and vintage images, showcases the historical accounts that followed these mighty ships. These true stories include competitions, accidents, battling destructive storms, acts of heroism, and their final voyages. |
