The Assistant Keeper's House - Beavertail State Park - Jamestown, RI
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NorStar
N 41° 26.967 W 071° 23.984
19T E 299548 N 4591431
The Assistant Keeper's House at Beavertail Light was used for that purpose from 1898 to 1972 and is now a museum.
Waymark Code: WMM1NG
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Date Posted: 07/03/2014
Views: 7
In Jamestown, within Beavertail State Park, is this historic sign about the Assistant Lighthouse Keeper House.
The sign is located on the building near the lighthouse. From the entrance to the park, drive along the main road to a parking lot within sight of the lighthouse, then walk to the building at the point.
The sign has the following text:
"The Assistant Keeper's House
The first assistant keeper at Beavertail Light was hired about 1859. It appears that the early assistant keepers shared part of the keeper's quarters or lived in one of the outbuildings on site.
In 1898, the U.S. Lighthouse Board added this residence at Beavertail for the assistant keeper and family. The assistant keeper's house was smaller and oriented 90 degrees from the keeper's house. This gave an unobstructed view of the sea from both floors.
The Lighthouse Board not only took care of the keeper's and assistant keeper's physical needs, but their intellectual needs as well. The Board circulated portable libraries of 50 volumes they felt were a 'proper admixture of historical, scientific, poetical, and good novels, together with a Bible.'
In 1969, Beavertail's assistant keeper was George Light. He became well known for answering the phone: 'Beavertail Light, Light speaking.'
The building's use as a residence was discontinued when the light was automated in 1972. On June 25, 1989, the Rhode Island Parks Association opened a museum in the building. In 1993 the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association was formed to operate the museum.
'You were up before five o'clock. When day light came you extinguished the light, trimmed the wick, got everything ready for the next night, took care of the tower, polished the lens, put the cover on, then went about your duties of painting, maintaining and general chores... Toward evening you'd just reverse what you did in the morning.'
Charles Homan, grandson of a Prudence Island Light Keeper"
The museum was closed at the time of visit.
Organization that Placed the Marker: Beavertail Light Museum Association
Related Website: [Web Link]
Year Marker was Placed: Not listed
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