By Dan Shine
Voice Columnist
Maritime Series, Part IV
See part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7
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One day, after they finished their walk out along Sandy
Point, Father and The Boy walked along the beach just across from Morse Park.
“Did you ever notice the green light up on that tower?” he said, pointing upward.
“There is another big green light on a taller tower behind it in the park way back at the corner of May Street and Third Avenue,” he said, raising his arm and pointing to a green glow off in the distance.
“Do you know what they’re there for?”
Of course, The Boy hadn’t the faintest idea.
“Turn around, son,” said Father. “Look out there: Do you see that gap between the breakwaters? Well, when a ship is coming into the harbor, they line up the two green lights, one above the other, and that way, by using the lights to aim their ship they can stay in the channel where it is safe to be!” At this, The Boy’s imagination went wild.
For many years beacons, buoys and lighthouses have guarded mariners from underwater hazards as the ships made their way into and out of New Haven Harbor. We have already mentioned the lighthouse on Five Mile Point; next we’ll talk about two other light houses that are–or were-familiar to West Haveners: The Outer Breakwall Light, also known as Sperry Lighthouse was built in 1899, upon the receipt of a $75,000 appropriation.
Named for Congressman Nehemiah Sperry, who was responsible for the development of most of the harbor, it was officially named New Haven Light in 1912.
The light would be located at the east end of the breakwater which is located closest to Aimes Point. It consisted of a cast-iron foundation cylinder which was topped by a cast-iron lighthouse. In 1900, a flashing red light began to exhibit from a Fresnel lens 61 feet above the water.
The lighthouse itself was not without tragedy: One lighthouse keeper was lost in a storm. In addition, the lack of a strong fog signal is blamed for an accident in which three barges were sunk and four crew members were lost.
By 1907, the foundation was exhibiting numerous cracks and beginning to tilt. Finally, it was obvious that the lighthouse itself was dangerous and it was removed in 1933.
Today, very few West Haveners remain living who have ever laid eyes on that aging structure: It was replaced by an automatic skeleton tower.
The Southwest Ledge Lighthouse sits on the western end of the breakwater which is closest to Lighthouse Park. It is so named because it protects shipping from running aground on the Southwest Ledge, which lies just below the surface of the water. The lighthouse is at the eastern edge of the channel which forms the approach to New Haven’s inner harbor.
It was built in 1877 and automated in 1953. The tower height is 45 feet, and the flashing red light is 57 feet above the water. An automatic fog horn blows every fifteen seconds, and most West Haveners are quite familiar with that sound. Electrical power is provided by solar energy, in a blending of the old with the new. Well done!
Thanks to Kathy Granfield for her assistance with the preparation of this story.
(Drone Photo by James Holt)