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New London Ledge Light (New London, Connecticut)
The New London Lighthouse is located at the
entrance to the New London Harbor at the mouth of the Thames River. Completed in 1909, the New London Ledge Lighthouse was one of
the last lighthouses to be built in New England.
It’s unique three-story, eleven room, French Second Empire design came
about at the request of the wealthy home owners on the nearby coast who wanted a
lighthouse that represented the elegance of their own homes. Even though there existed the New London
Harbor lighthouse on the western shore of the harbor entrance, ships needed
additional guidance to protect them from the dangerous ledges at the entrance of
the harbor. Initial requests began
in 1890 and the Lighthouse Board made its recommendation for the establishment
of another lighthouse in 1903.
Construction began in 1906. The
lighthouse, built by the Hamilton R. Douglas Company of New London, was
completed in 1909. It is constructed of granite and brick and sits on a
concrete foundation. The tower
height is 58 feet.
The lighthouse was manned by the Coast Guard
from 1939 till 1987 when the lighthouse was automated.
It was the last of the Long Island Sound lighthouses t become automated.
The present optic (190 mm) was added in 1984 and has a range of about 14 miles.
Solar panels were added in 1998 to provide power for the light. The lighthouse is said to be haunted by a
ghost named Ernie. The ghost is allegedly a keeper who committed suicide after
learning his wife ran off with the captain of a Block Island ferry boat. Today the lighthouse has been leased to the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation. They have been restoring the interior of the house and would like to eventually open it as a bed and breakfast and museum.
Directions: Being in the middle of the New London Harbor, the Lighthouse is best viewed from a boat. It can however be seen in the distance from various points on the land.
[Back to the Connecticut Lighthouses Page]
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All pictures are the original work of Rick Totton and are protected under copyright laws. Do not reproduce any images from this website without permission of the author. Copyright (c) 2000 Rick Totton.
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Originally
equipped with an incandescent oil vapor lamp and a rotating fourth-order Fresnel
lens, the light could be seen up to 18 miles away.
