new london harbor light

This was a revisit for me. It was a first visit for my friend. See my November 2013 review for lighthouse history, stats, and damage from Supertstorm Sandy, plus tips for viewing and photographing this lighthouse that’s on private grounds on Pequot Avenue. The old sign with the unenforceable edict of "NO PHOTOS" has been removed.As a member of several lighthouse preservation groups, it was nice to see preservation and restoration work in process on this visit. There was scaffolding all around the lighthouse. Even with that present, the lighthouse was still photogenic. On one of my future trips to New London, I hope to arrive on a day when the New London Maritime Society has it open for tours. If you found this review and/or my earlier review helpful, kindly click YES below.

Having grown up in New London, I was excited to tour this lighthouse once tours became available through the Custom House Maritime Museum. It's great to climb the lighthouse and see the view! Definitely recommend. The lighthouse is very close to a private residence, so you need to be considerate of their privacy.

The New London Harbor light is the oldest lighthouse in Connecticut, guiding mariners since the 18th century into the New London-Groton harbor. It has gone through a number of changes since being built, but has maintained its majesty as a tall, white beacon to all boats. The light sits on private land so it not available for climbing, although a short foray into the driveway will allow for a couple of good pictures. The Coast Guard sold the light to the New London Maritime Society recently with the stipulation that they would maintain it. Scaffolding surrounds the entire structure at this writing with a repair and repainting project underway. A symbol of the past link between the shore and the sea that is worth visiting on Pequot Avenue.

New London Maritime Society took ownership of this classic octagonal lighthouse in 2010. In 2014, the stone wall and walkway damaged by Superstorm Sandy were rebuilt in beautiful granite; the lighthouse exterior will be restored over the summer. Tours by land inside the lighthouse (119 steps to the lantern) are available by appointment at the Custom House Maritime Museum, which also runs boat trips by the three harbor lighthouses every weekend July through October. New London has a wealth of lighthouses in near range. It was said by the USCG that from the lantern of New London Harbor 'Pequot' Light one can see more lighthouses than from any other place on earth!

New London Harbor Lighthouse is located on private land on the west side of New London Harbor’s entrance. Views from Pequot Avenue are obstructed. For unobstructed top-to-bottom views, the lighthouse is best seen from a boat on the river. From land, the closest views are from Pequot Avenue along the beaches south of the lighthouse. Distant full-length views are best seen from the Avery Point UConn campus off Shennocossett Road in Groton where one can also see New London Ledge Lighthouse in the river and Avery Point lighthouse on the campus. The Custom House Maritime Museum in downtown New London offers boat trips and lighthouse tours periodically that will get you better views. On my most-recent visit to the New London-Groton area during the 2013 Connecticut Schooner Festival in September, I viewed all three lighthouses. Established in 1761, it’s the nation's fifth oldest light station. The original was removed when the current 89-foot brownstone tower was built in 1801. During the War of 1812, the New London Harbor Lighthouse was extinguished. The British did not attack the station during the conflict, as it was guarded by colonial troops. The British invaded the undefended Little Gull Island Light instead, taking all of its lamps and reflectors.In 1855 a fourth-order Fresnel lens replaced the original 11 lamps with 13” reflectors. The lens is still in service. The lighthouse was automated in 1912. The light’s characteristics are a three-second white flash, alternating with three seconds darkness, with a red sector.The present structure is the seventh oldest lighthouse in the United States. It is both the oldest and the tallest lighthouse in Connecticut. Due to its longevity, it is on the National Register of Historic Places in New London County, CT. The 1863 keeper’s house is still standing and is privately owned. This lighthouse is a reminder of the days early in U. S. history when New London was the third busiest whaling port after New Bedford and Nantucket in Massachusetts. When Hurricane Sandy slammed into the Connecticut coast in late October 2012, the New London Harbor Lighthouse was in a vulnerable spot---where the Thames River meets the eastern edge of the Long Island Sound and Fisher’s Island Sound. There was nothing protecting the lighthouse from Hurricane Sandy’s severe fury. When the skies cleared and the waves receded, the lighthouse itself emerged intact, but the masonry walkway that bridged the rocky gap from the keeper’s house to the lighthouse and a brick seawall bordering the property had been hammered by Sandy’s waves. The damage was horrific. The estimate damages were over $42,000. The New London Maritime Society, the lighthouse’s steward, applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The application was approved, and the group was awarded $31,691.25 in FEMA funds. Rebuilding of the walkway was underway when I was there. The group still needed about $10,500 to complete all damage repairs. New London Harbor Lighthouse was featured in the U.S. Postal Service’s 013 New England Lighthouses stamp collection.

I initially thought I wasn't able to see this lighthouse at all being on private property as it was listed. However a friend & fellow contributor told me it was possible to see it from Pequot Ave even though it's on private property. So I took the drive over. It's not that far from I-95. 10 minutes or less if that. I wound up parking on one of the side streets since there wasn't parking on the main road & walked by & took some shots. At the time I went there it appears there is renovation going on. You can see it better from the water or from the UConn campus in Groton. You can also see the New London Ledge Light off at a distance. That also is better viewing from the water or the UConn campus which is a little closer to it. It's good for a quick drive by to view. Or a walk by! LOL

This now appears to be a private residence. You can drive by it and see it from the road, but you can't go up to it and see it close. There is a sign in the driveway that says it is a private residence and not to enter. It was nice to see it from the road and see the nice neighborhood around it, but disappointing that you can't see it up close!

At 89 feet, this is the tallest lighthouse in Connecticut. Built in 1801, it is the oldest surviving one in the state, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Ever since I was a child, it was impossible to see the lighthouse close up. It can be viewed from the street and beach on Pequot Avenue, as well as from a boat. The lighthouse keeper’s house and surrounding land are privately owned, so it’s not possible to get close to the lighthouse without arranging for special access. Apparently, it is now possible to arrange for a tour, but I didn’t learn about this until our vacation was over. It would have been nice if there had been a sign by the road indicating this. We did get some pictures from the road at different distances and at different times of day. A modern structure on the south side of the lighthouse interferes with the view of the lighthouse and with the aesthetics of the scene when viewing or photographing from farther down Pequot Avenue.

This classic 1801 octagonal lighthouse is the oldest and tallest on Long Island Sound. The guide tells the history, (of which you can learn more back at the Custom House Maritime Museum). From the lantern at the top (up 100+ steps) you can see at least five other lighthouses. Breath-taking!

Hay que considerar estar muy abrigado puesto que hace mucho frio en este lugar pero la vista es muy linda.