How much to you really know about lighthouses that line our local coastlines of Mystic Connecticut . . . Avery Point Light, Latimer Reef, Morgan Point? How about the Stonington Harbor and New London Harbor Lights? Many locals, I’m sure, are much more knowledgeable than I was before I started to research lighthouses for this assignment. I’ve grown up hearing these names all my life – they have come to take on an almost legionary and romantic quality – but I never took the time to learn much about their history. I’ll like to share with you my findings on these historic structures, the stories of the “keepers” who maintained the lights – and my newfound fascination with these wonderful time capsules of local history.

Groton Long Point, Connecticut’s closest light, Morgan Point, was featured on the cover of Shore Living a few years back. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas – and as I read the article and realized that this lighthouse was in Noank, I was embarrassed to realize that I didn’t recognize it! The fact that it is difficult to see from the shore mollified me a bit – but this experience may have been the start of my quest to learn about these local structures.

A bit of history: Morgan Point lighthouse was built in 1831 to help mariners enter the Mystic River and the harbor of Noank from Fishers Island Sound. (Did you know that “Noank” came from the Mohegan Indian word for “point”?) Noank was a busy port in the 19th century, and the land was purchased from Rosewell Avery Morgan, a descendant of an original settler of the area. A new lighthouse was constructed in 1868, and maintained until 1919 when it was replaced by an automatic light to the east of the lights on Crooks Ledge. At that time, Morgan Point was sold to a private party; today it is the home of the Jason Pilalas family, who restored the exterior of the lighthouse to its original appearance, and converted the interior to a private residence.

As I began to research lighthouses, one of the first new terms I learned was: the fresnel lens (pronounced: Fruh-nell). This specially designed lens, classified in order of its strength, increases the power of a light and focuses it in one direction. Technology has come a long way from the earliest lighthouses – which were simple bonfires build on hillsides to guide ships. (Research indicates that the first lights served the old world city of Alexandria in 285 BC; the first American light came to life in 1716 at Boston Harbor.) Morgan Point was updated from a tower holding ten lamps and reflectors to a sixth order Fresnel lens in 1855. (Note: the fresnel lens was refined to 11 orders, each a different size and varying degree of light capture and intensification. The smallest of these, the 6th, 7th, and 8th orders, were used for river and harbor navigation.)

As to the light’s “keepers” -I assumed that all lighthouse keepers were men – but Eliza Daboll, widow of the original keeper, raised six children at Morgan Point and maintained the light for almost 20 years. Captain Silas Spicer, whose family name is well known to locals, held the job after Eliza . . . and the line of succession of Morgan Light house keepers goes on to include another widow, followed by her brother, a Civil War veteran who served 48 years a the light house. Rumors of his ghost frequenting the lighthouse still abound.

Records indicate several daring rescues at sea by the Morgan Lighthouse keepers, as well as a story about half frozen survivors of a wreck who rowed to the point. However, in 1919, this colorful bit of local history came to an end when an automatic light replaced the work of these loyal Morgan Point Light keepers, who provided 88 years of faithful service to the wayward seafarer.

Three Lights in New London Harbor

Just around the coast from Groton Long Point, Connecticut are three historic lighthouses in New London Harbor: Harbor Light, Ledge Light and Avery Point Light. One was the very first lighthouse to be constructed in Connecticut – another the last! In order to understand their place in our community heritage, we need to put them in the context of the history of colonial New England.

Because of its protected harbor at the mouth of the Thames River, New London became an important city, and by the mid 19th century, was ranked as one of America’s leading whaling seaports, behind New Bedford and Nantucket. An early beacon of some kind was erected around 1750 at the harbor’s entrance, but it soon became apparent that a more permanent lighthouse was needed. In 1760 the New London Harbor Light was erected; it was the first in Long Island Sound, and only the fourth lighthouse in North America.

Although it made it through the American Revolution unscathed, the lighthouse developed a large crack. It was replaced in 1801 by a stone and cast iron structure, which was automated in 1912, and remains in operation to this day as an active aid to navigation, warning mariners away from dangerous Sarah Ledge. The original tower still stands and is the oldest existing lighthouse in Connecticut.

By the early 20th century New London had made the transition from whaling center to industrial city. Because New London Harbor Light was not sufficient to direct vessels around the dangerous ledges and the entrance to the harbor, New London Ledge Light was built in 1909.This lighthouse, which is located in the Thames River at the entrance to the New London Harbor, is by far one of the most fascinating lighthouses to me. No classic lighthouse design in evidence here! First time observers of Ledge Light are amazed to see a stately red brick building with a mansard roof and granite detailing. This distinctive French Second Empire style was the choice of the wealthy homeowners on the local coastline – they wanted a structure in keeping with the elegance of their own homes. However, many of these large estates near the shore were destroyed in the 1938 hurricane – leaving the New London Ledge Light as one of the few examples in the local area of this elegant period in architecture.

Avery Point Light in Groton is actually the last lighthouse that was ever built in Connecticut. When the wealthy industrialist Morton F. Plant died in 1938, his estate at Avery Point was sold to the State of Connecticut. In 1941, the U.S. Coast Guard converted the site into a training station, and built Avery Point Light to serve as a symbol of the Coast Guard’s lighthouse keeping duties. It was operated as a private aid to navigation for the next 27 years. When the Coast Guard left the site in 1967, the lighthouse was extinguished and became the property of the State of Connecticut.

As can be expected, the tower has deteriorated to the point of being considered a safety hazard. However, efforts to restore the tower, which may carry a price tag upwards of $125,000, have not been successful. The American Lighthouse Foundation started a fund for the restoration of the tower, and local residents have formed a preservation group: Avery Point Lighthouse Society. This organization has the support of the Groton Town Council, and accepts contributions through their P.O. Box 1552 in Groton. They may also be contacted at 64 Pleasant Street; Email address: APLS1941@aol.com

Stonington Harbor Light and Latimer Reef Light

A wonderful morning outing for Groton Long Point Connecticut children and adults alike is a trip to historic Stonington to explore the Stonington Harbor Light, converted into The Old Lighthouse Museum in 1925. (The museum is open daily, from 10 AM to 5 PM, during July and August. Phone: 860 535-1440.)

In the 19th century, Stonington harbor was a thriving center for shipbuilding, whaling, fishing and trade. It’s first lighthouse, a large stone tower built in 1823 on Windmill Point, directed vessels coming in from Long Island Sound by a series of oil lamps and reflectors. After15 years, the lighthouse had deteriorated to the point where it needed to be replaced. The original structure was dismantled and used for a new tower and keeper’s home – these buildings comprise the current museum property. You can view fascinating exhibits in the six rooms on display – and climb up the tower for a magnificent view of three states!

This stone structure became obsolete in 1889 when a cast-iron lighthouse was erected on a breakwater in Stonington Harbor – replaced by a skeleton tower in the 1920s.

The name of Latimer Reef Light indicates one of the primary functions of lighthouses: to warn boats away from dangerous areas. Latimer Reef is located at the east end of Fishers Island Sound, about 4 miles southeast of Mystic. An iron spindle served to mark the reef as early as 1800; it was replaced by a buoy, and then a lighthouse in 1884.

Latimer Reef Light is a typical example of offshore “sparkplug” lighthouses. It is a four-story cast iron structure: three stories inside the tower were living quarters, the 4th was a watch deck – and the building was topped off by the lantern room.

What types of personalities would you think are best suited to life in a lighthouse? The number of women keepers surprised me – and, true to the social and political climate of the times, when female keepers are mentioned in the histories of lighthouses, their housekeeping skills (or lack of) were carefully noted . . . male keepers’ prowess in that regard was never reported! I discovered one interesting concession to male behavior traits: the Coast Guard lighthouse keeper crews always consisted of three men, rather than two. The rational here: in the event that a fight broke out between two of the men, the third man would be available to break it up.

One keeper, at Latimer Reef Light, learned to paint in his spare time, and later made his living as an artist. He would also row ashore on Saturday nights to play saxophone in a jazz band. As I talked with several GLP locals about lighthouses, they shared some fun stories about their fairly routine visits to nearby sites – and told me about their exciting adventures involving bringing homemade food items and a welcome bit of human contact to these stalwart lighthouse dwellers.

The solitude and beauty of a lighthouse keeper’s lifestyle has obviously been an attraction to many individuals. One keeper was quoted as saying, “After a week ashore, I can’t wait to get back here.” But he recognized that it wasn’t for everybody as he added, “This might be an ideal place for a loner, but it would drive whoever lives with him up a wall.” His simple conclusion: “You get a lot of time to think.”