Penfield Reef Lighthouse

Year Built

1874

Cost

$55,000

Type

Octagon

Height

35 feet

Location

Fairfield County

Automated Year

1971

First Lit

1874

Lens Type

Fourth-order Fresnel lens - Present optic: VLB-44 (LED, solar powered)

Fog Signal

One blast every 15 seconds

Year Deactivated

Active

Color

White (tower), black (lantern)

Last Keeper - Date

H. Clark Ellison, Jr. (1970 – 1971)

Description

The lighthouse consists of a 1-1/2 story keeper's quarters with a mansard roof, with a wood frame tower built into the roof framing.

Brief History

•  In the winter of 1866-67 alone, four more vessels ran into the shoal. Local merchants and mariners clamored for a lighthouse to guide vessels safely around the treacherous area.
•  On May 31, 1892, a Daboll trumpet, operated by duplicate Rider hot-air engines, replaced the station’s fog bell.
•  In 1969, the Coast Guard announced plans to tear down the venerable granite structure and replace it with a pipe tower, but local residents began a vocal campaign opposing these plans.
•  In 2007, Penfield Reef Lighthouse was offered to qualified entities, including non-profit organizations and state and local agencies.
•  Hurricane Sandy ravaged Penfield Reef Lighthouse in 2012 with thirty-foot waves and a thirteen-foot storm surge, pushing in panels in doors and windows and ripping apart the built-in gutter on the roof.