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Dutch Harbor Light

Jamestown, RI

In 1620, the West India Company established a trading post on the Island.  But it wasn’t until 1826 that the first lighthouse was built on Dutch Island to guide ships into the harbor as well as through the west passage leading to Narragansett Bay.

The original tower was thirty feet high and was built from stones found on the island.  The present tower, built in 1857 is forty-two feet high.  The light was automated in 1947 and served mariners well until 1979 when the lighthouse was decommissioned.

She showed a fixed white light until 1924 when it was changed to an occulting red.

Today, Dutch Harbor is a favorite sheltered anchorage for cruisers and overnighters. 

The American Lighthouse Foundation is working at restoring the Lighthouse.