Providence, Rhode Island, is rich in American history and nautical lore. Families prospered and children grew in the fresh air of this flourishing township, standing as a jewel in the New World. All along the Providence River, residents fished, tended to orchards and traded their wares.

By 1850, officials had located Bullock's Point and placed a pyramid-shaped daymark atop the outcropping. Although the daymark helped navigators during the daylight hours, night travel grew in intensity and a lighted beacon was necessary. So in 1872, a portable beacon was installed on a granite pier until a permanent lighthouse could be built. Four years later, Bullock's Point Lighthouse came into existence.

Constructed of wood, mariners were impressed by the unusual looking lighthouse, unlike any in New England. Workers had erected a lovely Victorian dwelling on a rectangular granite pier, complete with a lantern room on its roof. The attractive sentinel exhibited a fixed red light from its sixth order Fresnel lens, with a focal plane height of 50 feet.

The great hurricane of 1938 undermined the pier beneath the lighthouse and damaged the sentinel beyond repair. Throughout the storm, Keeper Andrew Zuius kept the light burning, despite an entire wall ripping away in the wind, scattering all of his belongings into the river. The stairs were swept away and the lighthouse ruined, yet thankfully, Zuius' life was spared.

Shortly after this epic storm, Bullock's Point Light was discontinued and torn down a few years later. If you visit this spot today, you will see a small lighted beacon on the old foundation, marking the spot where families once prospered and a lighthouse once stood.

Limited edition of 5500 pieces.

Bullock Point, RI Harbour Lights North Atlantic Region Item # HL280
Retirement Date: December 31, 2005!

Providence, Rhode Island, is rich in American history and nautical lore. Families prospered and children grew in the fresh air of this flourishing
Price: $79.95