Block Island Southeast Lighthouse
Block Island (New Shoreham), Rhode Island
Built in 1875
Stories | ||
Location:
Atop Mohegan Bluffs, moved 200 feet from the cliff on Block Island, Rhode island.
| Latitude: 41° 09' 10" N |
| Longitude: 71° 33' 04" W |
Historic Stories:
The town of New Shoreham, which comprises all of Block Island has the distinction of being the smallest town in the smallest state.
Block Island Southeast, located atop Mohegan Bluffs, is designated as New England’s highest lighthouse, with its 52-foot red brick tower standing 258 feet above sea level.
The completed lighthouse, with its Gothic-style architecture, was known as one of the nation's grandest. It was built during Block Island's time as a major resort, which accounts for its ornate design.
Vintage Block Island |
It was documented in 1880 that the lighthouse required 1000 gallons of oil and more than 60 tons of coal to operate efficiently each year. |
Off the lighthouse shoreline, some of the world's finest and largest bluefin tuna, bluefish, and swordfish are recorded.
Right after the 1938 hurricane passed through, with much of the building and electrical power destroyed but no casualties, the keepers had to turn the massive lens by hand for several days until power could be restored.
In 1939, a massive gas fire resulted from a Texaco gas tanker that was caught in fog and wrecked near the Mohegan bluffs. Although there were no injuries, the Coast Guard had to sink it for safety reasons, and it has since become a popular scuba diving site.
| Over the years, the Mohegan cliffs eroded dangerously close to the lighthouse, raising fears that powerful storms pounding the shoreline would send it plunging from the bluff into the sea. |
Block Island Southeast Light |
Efforts began in 1983, and enough funding was secured. In 1993, the lighthouse was moved to its present location about 300 feet from the cliff edge. It took nineteen days to move the over 120-year-old brick lighthouse, with the attached keeper’s building, weighing over four million pounds. The move used 800,000 pounds of steel to support the building and 38 jacks capable of lifting 60 tons each, and it had to be moved in a zigzag pattern to minimize structural stress. Before the move, the priceless first-order Fresnel lens had to be removed. After the move, the lens was replaced with a first-order lens from Cape Lookout Light in North Carolina..
Block Island Southeast Light was relighted on August 27, 1994.
Ghost of Mad Maggie
The lighthouse is also believed to be haunted by a female ghost named "Mad Maggie," who was apparently killed by her keeper husband when he pushed her down the stairs, breaking her neck. However, there is no documentation of this incident. She is an entity who doesn't like the presence of any male at the lighthouse and slams or locks doors and throws things. She was also very unhappy when the lighthouse was moved back away from the over 200-foot bluffs in 1993.
For more details, click the link "Mad Maggie Haunting" Blog at the top of the page to be directed to my Lighthouse Stories blog.
Places to Visit Nearby:
Block Island with its Victorian architecture, 17 miles of beaches, over 30 miles of trails for hikers and bikers, and many cultural and community events, is one of Rhode Island’s most popular destinations for local day trips and long-term visits alike.
| With no traffic lights and the well-preserved buildings, the island feels like a step back in time. |  |
The two-mile Crescent Beach area consists of four beaches: Frederick J. Benson Beach, Scotch Beach, Mansion Beach, and, near the ferry landing, Ballard’s. Crescent Beach offers picturesque biking trails and is part of the Greenway network of trails, which encompasses 30 miles of pathways that lead from Rodman’s Hollow to the huge clay cliffs along the coastline.
 |
If you want more seclusion, just a few minutes bike ride away are deserted beaches. |
With miles of open beaches you can fish from the beach, or take a charter boat leaving from New Harbor for bluefish, striped bass and flounder.
The best ways to get around the island, are first to leave your car at the ferry dock on the mainland, take a taxi, rent a moped, rent a horse, or just bike of hike your way around the island.
You can take the Mohegan Trail from the village of Old Harbor out to the Bluffs.
The Mohegan Trail leads around the 200-foot cliffs of Mohegan Bluffs with great views of the ocean and shoreline.
Southeast Lighthouse has a small museum and the grounds are open to the public with tours of the lighthouse offered in the summer. For great cliff views above the shoreline, explore the Mohegan Bluffs near the lighthouse grounds.
 |
To reach the beach, you'll need to walk down more than 140 stairs which provide amazing views of Mohegan Bluffs, then from the last step, scramble around some rocks to the shore. |
For the family, visit the Abrams Animal Farm and petting zoo to experience an array of exotic animals up close
For the more adventurous you can go kayaking from New Harbor in the Great Salt Pond.
Directions:
Would strongly suggest to rent a moped or e-bike to get to the lighthouse. Total hiking distance round trip from the ferry dock is about five miles.- Block Island is accessible by taking the Block Island Ferry from Point Judith, RI.
- Take Sandhill Cove Road from Point Judith lighthouse, to Galilee ferry landing.
- The lighthouse is a half-hour walk from the ferry terminal. You can also take a taxi, or bike there as well.
- From the ferry dock on Block Island at Old Harbor, take Water Street to a small rotary.
- Take Spring Street to Southeast Light Road to the Lighthouse. The walk is about two and a half miles one way from the ferry landing dock.
Contact Info:
Block Island Southeast Lighthouse Foundation
Box 949
Block Island, RI 02807
122 Mohegan Trail
Phone: (401) 466-5009
Block Island Ferries and Charter Service
Block Island Ferry
(401) 783-4613
Provides traditional and fast ferries to Block Island from Point Judith and Newport, RI.
Block Island Express
Fast ferry leaves out of New London, CT, and Orient Point, NY, and they promote special bicycle tours around Block Island.
Phone: (860) 444-4624 or (401) 466-2212 (Block Island)
Snappa Charters
Offers specific private lighthouse tours around Narragansett Bay and to Block Island in addition to other adventure tours like sport fishing, whale watching, and shark tagging. Provides 4-hour Block Isand Tour.
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
Books to Explore
New book!  Available in paperback. |
America's Boston Light: Discover Boston Light’s 310-year history and its ties to key historical events, all presented with plenty of color and vintage images. Learn the story of its first lighthouse keeper, including his tragic death, and explore the social customs of the colonial era. Find out about the lighthouse’s connections to notable figures like Ben Franklin and uncover intriguing mysteries. Read about shipwrecks and the rescue missions carried out by the keepers, and years later, coordinated rescues with the Hull Lifesavers on shore. |
New England's Haunted Lighthouses: 
Available in paperback. |
In this image-rich book, discover the historical secrets surrounding the haunted lighthouses of New England! Respectable witnesses have reported numerous ghostly encounters, including the spirits of devoted keepers who refuse to leave, phantom ships, victims of misfortune, restless souls from nearby shipwrecks, and more. Immerse yourself in the stories connected to these iconic landmarks, blending maritime history with the paranormal. Learn about the historic facts leading up to the folklore of the Palatine ghost ship, also known as the "Flying Dutchman," and about the grumpy female ghost at Block Island Southeast Light. |
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: This book provides special human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses on the southern shores, along with plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions and tours you can explore. Look inside! |
|
Available in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
|
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, with most measuring over 300 feet! 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. |
This image-rich book contains over 50 stories of famous shipwrecks and rescues around New England lighthouses, and also tales of hauntings, including the story of the female ghost that hates men at Block Island Southeast Light. |
You'll find this book and my lighthouse tourism books from the publisher Schiffer Books, or in many fine bookstores.