Light Hearted ep 315 – Town Historian David Wright, Stratford, CT
Stratford Point Light Station in 2015, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
David Wright
Stratford, Connecticut, was an active port in coastal trade, shipbuilding and oystering in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. To mark the entrance to the harbor, the first Stratford Point Lighthouse was built on the west side of the dangerous mouth of the Housatonic River in 1822. The present tower, 35 feet tall, was built along with a new keeper's house in 1881. Theodore of "Theed" Judson was keeper from 1880 to 1921. In his more than 40 years at Stratford Point, Judson frequently made the local newspapers with sightings of sea monsters and mermaids.
The light station is still owned by the Coast Guard, but the town of Stratford holds occasional open houses for the public. Our guest in this episode, David Wright, is the Stratford town historian. He gives walking tours and writes articles about local history. When the lighthouse is open, David takes on the identity of Keeper Theodore Judson while his wife portrays the keeper’s wife, Kate.
--------
59:55
Light Hearted Lite #19 – A Tale of Two Sparkplugs: Conimicut and Sakonnet, RI
Conimicut Lighthouse in 2007. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
This episode has two segments. First is a new interview with Mayor Frank Picozzi of Warwick, Rhode Island, about the recent exterior restoration of Conimicut Lighthouse, which is owned by the city. The major project at the 1883 cast-iron caisson "sparkplug style" tower was carried out in 2024 by Abcore Restoration.
Sakonnet Lighthouse in 2010. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Next is an abridged version of an interview first heard in late 2019 with Scott Brown, president of Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse. The 1882 "sparkplug" off Little Compton, Rhode Island, was restored in 2012 with funding from the federal Transportation Enhancement Program combined with privately raised funds.
--------
30:41
Light Hearted ep 314 – Joe Bains and Ray Jenness, Prudence Island, RI
Prudence Island Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Prudence Island, about seven miles long, is the third largest island in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. It was determined around 1850 that a lighthouse was needed to guide vessels passing between Sandy Point, at the island's easternmost extremity, and Aquidneck Island, about a mile to the east. Instead of building a new lighthouse, a disused one at Goat Island in Newport was moved to Prudence Island. Originally built at Goat Island in 1842, the lighthouse still stands at Sandy Point and is the oldest free-standing lighthouse in the state.
The granite stairs inside Prudence Island Lighthouse
The Prudence Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, was involved with the upkeep of the lighthouse and its grounds since the late 1980s. The Coast Guard granted a license to the group in 2001, and in 2024, the property was conveyed to the Prudence Conservancy under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
Interviewed in this episode are Prudence Island Historian Joe Bains, and Ray Jenness, who is the chairman of the Prudence Conservancy. The interview was recorded at the Prudence Island Historical Museum.
The wife and son of Keeper George Gustavus, along with three other people, lost their lives when the keeper's house at Prudence Island was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938. Courtesy of Joan Kenworthy.
--------
59:37
Light Hearted ep 313 – Thomas Point Shoal, MD, and “Drew’s Grand Adventure”; NHLPA conference recap
There are three segments in this episode. The first recaps a recent virtual conference that the USLHS held in late March. The conference celebrated the 25th anniversary of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, with presenters and attendees sharing their stories of lighthouse stewardship and preservation.
Next is an abridged version of a conversation with John Potvin first heard in November 2019. John is the manager for the Chesapeake Chapter of USLHS of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay, the only surviving cottage-style screwpile lighthouse in the country still in its original location. Following that is a chat with Natasha Nash Dixon. Natasha’s new children’s book, “Drew’s Grand Advenure,” is based on a true tale about the beloved mascot of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. The book also includes the photography of Davd Sites, who is an acclaimed Maryland photographer.
Photo by David Stites
--------
45:17
Light Hearted ep 312: Simon and Laura Thomas, Bristol Ferry, Rhode Island
The strait between Bristol and Portsmouth, Rhode Island, was busy in the early 1800s, with all manner of vessels passing between Narragansett Bay to the west and Mount Hope Bay to the east. A lighthouse was built on the Bristol side in 1855, with a small brick dwelling and a lighthouse tower attached to its southern end. The lighthouse's days as an aid to navigation ended with the construction of the Mount Hope Bridge in 1929, almost directly over the lighthouse. The lantern was removed and the property passed into private ownership.
Bristol Ferry Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Simon and Laura Thomas
Owners Carol and Bob Lundin restored the building and had a new lantern room fabricated and installed in the 1990s. Today, the lighthouse is owned by Simon and Laura Thomas and managed as an inn, with bookings available through AirbnB and Vrbo. Simon and Laura are interviewed in this episode along with Rhode Island marine photographer Matthew Cohen. Judianne Point co-hosts.
Below: inside Bristol Ferry Lighthouse, photos by Jeremy D'Entremont
Ireland