The Stonington Harbor Light is a historic lighthouse built in 1840 and located on the east side of Stonington Harbor in the Borough of Stonington, Connecticut. It is a well-preserved example of a mid-19th century stone lighthouse. The light was taken out of service in 1889 and the building has served as a museum for the Stonington Historical Society since 1925. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

The federal government built a lighthouse on Windmill Point in Stonington Harbor in 1823; it was housed in a small granite lighthouse and was known by the same name. However, erosion led to its being torn down and its materials reused in the construction of this lighthouse. The light was originally lit by an oil lamp and broadcast by eight parabolic reflectors. This technology was already obsolete at the time of the lighthouse's construction, and it was replaced by a sixth-order Fresnel lens in 1856.

See also

  • List of lighthouses in Connecticut
  • List of lighthouses in the United States
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut

References

  • Crompton, Samuel Willard. "The Lighthouse Book." Barnes and Noble Books, New York, 1999. .
  • lighthousefriends.com: Inventory of Historic Light Stations
  • Old Lighthouse Museum - Stonington Historical Society