Photo: JacobKlinger / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Point Judith, the southern tip of Narragansett, juts into the meeting of Block Island Sound and Rhode Island Sound. The waters off the point are known for strong currents, fog and rough seas, and the lighthouse there has warned ships away from its rocks for more than two centuries.
History
A light has marked Point Judith since 1810. The first wooden tower was destroyed in the Great Gale of 1815 and replaced, and the present granite tower, octagonal and about 51 feet tall, was built in 1857. Its upper half is painted brown and its lower half white, a daymark that helps mariners identify it in daylight. The light was automated in the 1950s and remains an active aid to navigation. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The waters off the point have seen many shipwrecks. Among the best known is the German U-boat U-853, sunk off Block Island in May 1945, in the last days of the war in Europe, after torpedoing the collier Black Point near Point Judith.
The Coast Guard station
The lighthouse stands on the grounds of U.S. Coast Guard Station Point Judith, which conducts search and rescue and law enforcement missions along the coast. The station’s buildings are not open to the public.
Visiting
- The grounds around the lighthouse are open to the public during daylight hours. The tower itself is not generally open for climbing.
- Parking is limited. Respect posted signs, since this is an active Coast Guard facility.
- The rocks below the light are popular with anglers and surfers but can be slippery and dangerous in high surf.
- Nearby, Point Judith Park and the Port of Galilee make for an easy half-day visit.
Photography
Morning and late afternoon light are best for photographs. On foggy days, listen for the fog signal, a reminder of why the light was built.
