Beavertail Lighthouse
83 Beavertail Road, Jamestown, Rhode Island
Built in 1749
Location:
In Beavertail State Park at the end of Beavertail Road, at the southern tip of Conanicut Island, Narragansett Bay.
Latitude: 41° 26' 58" N
Longitude: 71° 23' 59" W
Historic Stories:
Beavertail is the third oldest lighthouse in America. Beavertail Point near where the current Beavertail Lighthouse is located, had a watch house constructed in 1705 by the early settlers. It was then developed into a fire-lighted beacon that was tended by the local Indians in 1712. The first real government lighthouse consisting of a 69-foot wooden tower, which used fire to act as a light source was erected in 1749. The tower burned down in 1753, and a new one was built at the same location, this time made of brick and stone.
| In 1817, Beavertail was the first lighthouse to be lit by gas; however, opposition from the whale industry (whale oil) caused the government to decide not to use the more efficient energy source. | 
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It was also used in many situations to conduct experiments with new fog signals and lighting equipment.
On December 1908, servicemen at nearby Fort Adams were practicing a routine of firing dummy shells into the ocean.
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One day, their aim caused quite a stir at the lighthouse as one of the shells buzzed by the tower, one landed behind the keeper’s house, and another hit the tower’s foundation. |
The keepers were not hurt, but complained to the Lighthouse Board, and were able to gain assurance from the War Department, who also made the repairs, that the incident wouldn’t happen again.
Keeper George T. Manders stayed at the lighthouse from 1913-1937. During his tenure, one of his hobbies involved carving tiny baskets from peach stones that would be used as little watch charms. He also once claimed to have seen a white whale from his position in the tower, but his accounts were dismissed as on that particular day of the sighting, as the area was engulfed in a thick fog.
Keeper's Tragedy During the Hurricane of 1938
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During the unsuspected tidal wave caused by the unknown Hurricane of 1938, New England’s worst hurricane, a school bus carrying Keeper Carl Chellis' son and daughter were heading towards the lighthouse. |
The bus became swamped by the surge. The bus driver Norman Caswell, fearing he and the children would drown if they stayed on the bus, tried to bring the kids to higher ground. He was too late and another storm surge hit and swept all the children away, drowning them all, except only the keeper's son and the distraught bus driver himself. Keeper Chellis had not only watched the lighthouse become practically destroyed from this destructive storm, but also had to receive the horrible news that his daughter had drowned by the tidal wave sweeping over her school bus. Caswell died shortly after the incident, overcome with guilt and unable to cope with deaths of the children. Keeper Chellis would perish seven years later on tour of duty in the Pacific during World War II.
Places to Visit Nearby:
Jamestown is a quaint island community connected by bridges from the Newport area to Conanicut Island. It is an area filled with history, 18th and 19th century architecture, and hosts many community events. There are a host of parks with trails and small wildlife refuges for birding for visitors to relax and enjoy.
| One of the main tourist attractions is Beavertail Lighthouse, the nation’s third oldest lighthouse, located inside Beavertail State Park for picnicking and hiking. | 
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Be sure to also visit the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, which features a collection of information, documents, and artifacts about the history of the lighthouse and the area.
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Explore the unique rock formations that surround this park. Tours to the lighthouse are sometimes also provided. |
Other museums in the area include Watson Farm, a living history museum that offers a glimpse into the way most people lived in Jamestown for three hundred years, the Jamestown Fire Department Memorial Museum collection of antique fire fighting equipment, and the Jamestown Museum collection of ferry system memorabilia, historic photos, maps, and other items that help tell the story of Jamestown's history. Ferry service is available from and to Jamestown, and there are plenty of opportunities for fishing off the dock in the harbor. There are more than 40 museums located within 40 minutes of Jamestown.
Nearby, Newport is connected by bridges for tourists to visit and explore while they’re in the area.
| This region provides some of the best sailing around the Narragansett Bay, as well as providing tourists with plenty of boat tours, excursions, and events. |  |
Visit some of the famous elaborate mansions of the most powerful people that shaped America’s 19th and 20th centuries, and its numerous parks and museums.
Fort Wetherill State Park is situated on top of 100 foot high granite cliffs for a spectacular view of Narragansett Bay. Charter fishing is available at the Dutch harbor Boat Yard.
Directions:
You can also view the lighthouse from the water. The best view of this lighthouse is at the park itself:
- Take Route 138 eastbound from North Kingston over the Jamestown Bridge, or from Newport, cross the Newport Bridge.
- Follow signs on Route 138 to Jamestown center. Look for Fort Gerry/Beavertail sign and follow along a few miles of stonewalls.
- Keep heading south past Mackerel Cove Town Beach to Beavertail State Park at the tip of Conanicut Island.
Contact Info:
Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association
P.O. Box 83
Jamestown, RI 02835
Phone: (401) 423-3270
Local Boat Tours
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 lighthouse and coastal preservation provides nature and seal watching tours. For those who are not in a hurry, 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
Books to Explore
To order a signed paperback copy: Available also from bookstores in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
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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. |
My 300-page book, Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, provides special human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses, along with plenty of indoor and outdoor tours and coastal attractions you can explore. You'll also find more heroic and tragic stories during the Hurricane of 1938 that devasted the coastal areas around Naragansett Bay. Look inside! |
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