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Managing Organization:
Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc.
Contact Address Information:
P.O. Box 4763
Middletown
Rhode Island, 02842, United States
Notes:
In 1941 the completion of the Jamestown Bridge made Plum Beach Light obsolete. The lighthouse fell into disrepair, and for years this was disagreement over who owned the structure -- the Coast Guard or the State of Rhode Island. In 1998 it was ruled that the state owned the structure, and in 1999 it was deeded to the nonprofit Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc. The group received $500,000 in funding under the Transportation Act for the 21st Century, known as TEA-21. In early 2003 a contract was awarded to the Abcore Restoration Company of Naragansett, RI, and work on the exterior of the tower was completed in December 2003. The lighthouse has also been relighted as a private aid to navigation.
Tower Height: 53
Height of Focal Plane: 54
Characteristic and Range: White flash every 5 seconds.
Description of Tower: Conical cast iron
This light is operational
Date Established: 1899
Date Present Tower Built: 1899
Date Deactivated: 1941-2003
Optics: 1899: Fourth order Fresnel lens.
Fog Signal: Originally fog bell.
Current Use: Private aid to navigation.
Open To Public? No.
Directions:
West on RI 138 in Jamestown: exit onto North Main Street. Turn left at Frigate Street, left again at Beacon Street. Turn right at Pickering Street, left at Helm Street and right at Spindrift Street. The lighthouse can be seen from the end of Spindrift Street and to the south along Seaside Street. A good view is also possible from the lighthouse cruises offered periodically by Bay Queen Cruises in Warren, Rhode Island. The cruise provides good views of a number of lighthouses. Call Bay Queen cruises at (401) 245-1350 for details.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Keepers: Joseph L. Eaton (1897-1899); Judson G. Allen (1899-1904); George Erhardt (1904-1911); George A. Troy (Tray?) (1911-1913); Charles Ormsby (c. 1915 - mid-1920s); ? Robarge (c. 1920s); "Moon" Mullins (c. 1920s); Edwin S. Babcock, substitute keeper (early 1920s - 1938); Reuben Phillips (late 1920s - c. 1938); John Otto Ganze, (assistant c. 1933-c. 1938, keeper c. 1938-1940).
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