WayfarrowWatch Hill Light
Lighthouse · Washington County, Rhode Island
Watch Hill Light is a lighthouse in Washington County, Rhode Island. Rhode Island has 31 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 7 of them in Washington County.
It was built in 1856, in the Civil War era, making it the 5th oldest of the 22 in Rhode Island with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 45 feet tall (8th tallest of 15 measured in Rhode Island); its light sits 66 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Al RW 5s, with a range of about 14 nautical miles; it guards North Atlantic Ocean; the structure is built of stone.
Status check, 2026-11: The light station dates from 1808. The current 45 ft granite tower was finished in 1856 and first lit on February 1, 1857. Some sources give 61 ft, but that is the focal height, not the tower height. It stands at 41.3039° N, 71.8584° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1856 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 45 ft |
| Focal height | 66 ft |
| Light characteristic | Al RW 5s |
| Range | 14 nautical miles |
| Body of water | North Atlantic Ocean |
| Material | stone |
| Coordinates | 41.30390, -71.85840 |
Nearby places
- Stonington Harbor Lightlighthouse · Southeastern Connecticut County · 3 mi
- Latimer Reef Lightlighthouse · Suffolk County · 3.9 mi
- Noank Light 5lighthouse · Southeastern Connecticut County · 6.7 mi
- Morgan Point Lightlighthouse · Southeastern Connecticut County · 6.9 mi
- Mystic Seaport Lightlighthouse · Southeastern Connecticut County · 6.9 mi
- Quonochontaug Beachghost town · Washington County · 7.2 mi
- North Dumpling Lightlighthouse · Suffolk County · 8.4 mi
- Race Rock Lightlighthouse · Suffolk County · 10.7 mi
- Avery Point Lightlighthouse · Southeastern Connecticut County · 10.7 mi
- New London Ledge Lightlighthouse · Southeastern Connecticut County · 11.4 mi
- New London Harbor Lightlighthouse · Southeastern Connecticut County · 12.1 mi
- Maushantuxetghost town · Southeastern Connecticut County · 12.4 mi
Questions
Where is Watch Hill Light?
Watch Hill Light is in Washington County, Rhode Island, at 41.3039, -71.8584.
How many lighthouses are in Washington County?
Washington County, Rhode Island has 7 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.
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Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.