The Stratford Shoal Lighthouse

The Stratford Shoal is a reef that is about a mile long, located about halfway between the Connecticut shore and Long Island New York. It is very dangerous, because of how low it sits, and that there are numerous ships that pass through here every day. It used to be that two more islands were also in the same vicinity in the early part of the seventeenth century, but centuries of erosion have worn down these islands to well below sea level.

In the early years, different methods were used to guide ships through this dangerous area, buoys were deployed around 1820, and there was even a lightship placed here in 1838, but it was found that the seas and winds were just too strong to keep them in one place. Some of the biggest problems, especially with the ship, was that it came dislodged from its anchorage many times, even to drift more than 23 miles off its original site, winding up near Faulkner's Island.

By around 1872 it was decided by the Lighthouse Board that a more permanent lighthouse needed to be put into place on the Stratford Shoal. The Stratford Shoal Lighthouse is one of the last true masonry lighthouse designs, and was built before there were any tubular foundations and cast iron towers. It was built around the same time as the Fishers Island Sound lighthouse, and is very similar to the Race Rock Lighthouse.

The open space foundation was constructed between 1874 and 1876, using tons of granite stones. There were many delays, one was that just before construction was completed a large construction schooner was forced onto the shoal by a powerful gale, the crew managed to escape with their lives. Finally it was completed in 1877, and the 35 foot high double gable roof lighthouse became operational. It used a fourth generation Fresnel lens, that flashed a white light more than sixty feet above the sea, and in 1880 A Daboll fog horn was also added.

There have been many different instances over the years. Because of it's extremely solitary location, many keepers have had difficulty fulfilling their duties because of the isolation. Many people have also been rescued nearby from powerful storms and high winds. Keeper Emil Usinger saved a bunch of people in 1915 in a boat that was sent adrift in a powerful storm, and a swimmer had to be saved from being carried away by the tide in 1930, just to name a few.

These are just some of the interesting stories about the Stratford Shoal Lighthouse. It is still in operation today, though not many are allowed to visit this remote location. However, if you are a collector of lighthouses, you can find many replicas of the Stratford Shoal Lighthouse. It can be found in many different materials, and many examples are hand painted in brilliant colors, carefully depicting its square bottom and octagon upper portions.

If you want to own a piece of history consider adding the Stratford Shoal Lighthouse to your collection.