Winter is a wonderful time to get out in the fresh air and explore the beauty of the season. In Connecticut, we have 22 historic lighthouses, most are best viewed from the water like Sheffield Island Lighthouse. The Black Rock Harbor Lighthouse located in Bridgeport can be reached by taking a short walk about one mile long. A walk along the breakwater to the lighthouse gives hikers fabulous views of Long Island Sound. After traversing the breakwater hikers can take a sandy path to the 47-foot tall lighthouse and to the edge of this island. From the shore, if you look out into the Sound, you will also see Penfield Reef Lighthouse just offshore in the distance. The lighthouse is located on Fayerweather Island at the end of a breakwater off of Seaside Park in Bridgeport.
In the 18th century, the city became a shipping center and this lighthouse was built in 1808 on a tract of land purchased from David Fayerweather for $200. The keeper’s dwelling was originally a one-and-a-half-story home, having a kitchen, living room, and one bedroom, but over time, the residence would grow to eleven rooms. John Maltbie, the first keeper, died only five months after taking charge of the light. The lighthouse was destroyed in a storm in 1821. The lighthouse we see today was built in 1823.
Despite the short tenure of the first keeper, the position at Fayerweather Island rarely turned over, and the station only nine keepers in its 125 years of operation. John D. Davis was the last keeper of the lighthouse until it was officially decommissioned on March 3, 1933.
Although you can't get into the lighthouse today, visitors can walk around the lighthouse and imagine what it was like to live in a lighthouse and how exciting it was to help guide boats safely into the harbor. The lighthouse was relit in the year 2000 although it is not used for navigational purposes.
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