For the last fourteen years, Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse has been restoring the lighthouse with hopes of having it open to the public as a museum.
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse sits on a tiny island in the Providence River just off the shoreline of East Providence. The lighthouse was first lit in 1871, deactivated by 1974, and had fallen into disrepair. In 2006 after thirty-two years, the lighthouse was re-lit and then in 2010 it was donated to the American Lighthouse Foundation.
On June 10, 2018 we were invited to join the festivities for Pomham Rocks Light opening day, which entailed a celebration at the Squantum Association in Riverside, Rhode Island where Save the Bay provided two boats for rides out the the lighthouse for a full tour.
The Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse have organized volunteers since 2004, working to save and restore the structure which had been damaged and neglected.
The Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse proudly displayed pieces of the historically accurate restoration process and recognized many of the community members and sponsors who made this project possible.
The mahogany railing and bannister on the staircase was meticulously restored. There are many period-correct details within the lighthouse, including appliances in the kitchen.
Dennis Tardiff, the last lightkeeper of Pomham Rocks when it was decommissioned in 1974, was present at the luncheon honoring the restoration. He brought articles to share and donated his uniform to be displayed in the lighthouse.
Save the Bay provides lighthouse cruises of Narragansett Bay where you can view up to twenty lighthouses with at least one stop at an active lighthouse. Save the Bay continuously works to improve water quality in the bay and provides many opportunities to learn more about protecting our waterways.
There is information about becoming a member of The Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse here, and you can become a member of Save the Bay here.
