Plum Beach Light

See this historic lighthouse off the shores of Jamestown, Rhode Island.

Plum Beach Lighthouse sits on the west side passage of Narragansett Bay near Kingston on a ledge called Plum Beach Shoal. The lighthouse was needed to help the mariners stay clear of the shore during fog. This historic lighthouse has been around since 1899. Due to harsh weather, the foundation cracked, but it was repaired in the early 1920s. A significant hurricane affected the area in 1938, and two lighthouse keepers got stranded at Plum Beach. Edwin Babcock and John Ganze went into the fog bell room and tied themselves to the central pipe containing the weights for the mechanism that rotated the lens. They survived through the onslaught of 30-foot waves due to their quick thinking.

The Jamestown Bridge was built next to the lighthouse in 1941, which put the lighthouse out of commission. It sat unused for some time and became an eyesore. In 1973, the Newport Bridge was being painted, and one of the painters was sent over to paint the lighthouse, but due to the conditions, they were unable to paint it back then. In 1999, the state gave the lighthouse to The Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse. Finally, the lighthouse was rebuilt, repainted, and relit by 2003. While crossing the Newport-Jamestown bridge, enjoy views of this newly restored historic lighthouse.