Today's Point Judith Lighthouse is the second tower to be constructed at the point. The first light was built in 1807 out of wood, with the beacon being established in 1810. The light's flash was blocked out every 2 1/2 minutes with a rotating eclipser to distinguish the light from others. The octagon shaped tower was destroyed by a hurricane in 1815. The 51 foot tall present day light was built in 1816 from beveled Connecticut freestone & rough granite blocks.
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Today's octagon & conical shape tower measures 20 foot across at the base, & 9 foot across at the lantern deck. The tower received major repairs in 1837 & 1857. The brick oil house was added in 1917, and the fog signal building in 1923. The Winslow Lewis optic of 1816 was replaced with a 4th order Fresnel lens in 1857, and automated in 1954. The Coast Guard constructed the light's present support and administrative buildings in 1937 after the station had burned down.
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