{ "slug": "old-saybrook-lighthouses", "title": "Old Saybrook’s working lights", "towns": [ "Old Saybrook" ], "counties": [ "Middlesex" ], "dateRange": "1886–1999", "topic": "Coast & maritime life", "summary": "Lynde Point and the outer breakwater light at the mouth of the Connecticut River.", "history": [ { "heading": "An outer light, 1886", "text": "Saybrook Breakwater Light was established in 1886 at the west jetty’s end, about a mile and a half from Lynde Point Light. Cast iron and brick lining formed its tower, supported by a caisson foundation.", "source_ids": [ "coastguard" ] }, { "heading": "Light and sound", "text": "The station combined a Fresnel lens with a fog signal. A fourth-order lens replaced the original in 1890. The National Archives preserves Saybrook logbooks covering 1918 into 1934, a source for studying the work behind the familiar landmark.", "source_ids": [ "coastguard", "logs" ] }, { "heading": "Storm and automation", "text": "The September 21, 1938 hurricane tore away the station’s bridge, platform, boat and kerosene tank, but its keeper maintained the light. Automation followed in 1959. Images here include a 1972 Coast Guard photograph and documentary views with unrecorded dates.", "source_ids": [ "coastguard" ] } ], "timeline": [ { "date": "1886", "event": "The breakwater station is established.", "source_ids": [ "coastguard" ] }, { "date": "1890", "event": "A fourth-order lens replaces the original lens.", "source_ids": [ "coastguard" ] }, { "date": "September 21, 1938", "event": "The station is damaged in the hurricane, but its light remains lit.", "source_ids": [ "coastguard" ] }, { "date": "1959", "event": "The light is automated.", "source_ids": [ "coastguard" ] } ], "sources": [ { "id": "coastguard", "title": "U.S. Coast Guard — Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse", "url": "https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Land/Lighthouses-Light-Stations/Article/1988661/saybrook-breakwater-lighthouse/" }, { "id": "logs", "title": "National Archives — Lighthouse Logbooks", "url": "https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/lighthouse-logbooks.html" } ], "images": [ { "id": "ea6f8374629eba5ba0c6", "image": "/county-images/f28cef531731fb7a4f48151d6cf637fe542833b385969a0cb6499c2440da70c1.jpg", "title": "Photo copy of historic photograph, 1972, VIEW LOOKING NORTH, SHOWING ORIGINAL AWNING AT BASE OF LIGHTHOUSE. U.S. Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit, Warwick, RI - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "alt": "Photo copy of historic photograph, 1972, VIEW LOOKING NORTH, SHOWING ORIGINAL AWNING AT BASE OF LIGHTHOUSE. U.S. Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit, Warwick, RI - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "date": "1972", "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress", "creator": "Creator not identified", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0660.photos.317302p/", "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.", "license": "Public domain", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "Photo copy of historic photograph, 1972, VIEW LOOKING NORTH, SHOWING ORIGINAL AWNING AT BASE OF LIGHTHOUSE. U.S. Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit, Warwick, RI - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0660/photos/317302pv.jpg" }, { "id": "6f80c70db99b2cfedc30", "image": "/county-images/d953ae02e70898b2ec157e042cccb0ee6545ff01e028f031a1518c29c5185b7b.jpg", "title": "View looking northeast, showing Saybrook east breakwater in the right background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "alt": "View looking northeast, showing Saybrook east breakwater in the right background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "date": "Photograph date not recorded", "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress", "creator": "Creator not identified", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0660.photos.317290p/", "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.", "license": "Public domain", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "View looking northeast, showing Saybrook east breakwater in the right background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0660/photos/317290pv.jpg" }, { "id": "d6834614b38f60af7a61", "image": "/county-images/641d84c66c7577d0a5698b6743bd1597cdc8c24670763e8569104ae0acc83542.jpg", "title": "View looking northeast, with Saybrook east breakwater in the background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "alt": "View looking northeast, with Saybrook east breakwater in the background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "date": "Photograph date not recorded", "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress", "creator": "Creator not identified", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0660.photos.317292p/", "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.", "license": "Public domain", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "View looking northeast, with Saybrook east breakwater in the background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0660/photos/317292pv.jpg" }, { "id": "7cf73c736a036513fd18", "image": "/county-images/639d9ff98c0d98b0a6d626cd1d79173bf767c6340713ef7383d30f6c0dd9ee85.jpg", "title": "View looking northwest, showing Saybrook west breakwater and Lynde Point Lighthouse in the right background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "alt": "View looking northwest, showing Saybrook west breakwater and Lynde Point Lighthouse in the right background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "date": "Photograph date not recorded", "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress", "creator": "Creator not identified", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0660.photos.317289p/", "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.", "license": "Public domain", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "View looking northwest, showing Saybrook west breakwater and Lynde Point Lighthouse in the right background - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0660/photos/317289pv.jpg" }, { "id": "5e59a73fa39dd3e64df4", "image": "/county-images/5725f44a94b1dd4e2668947a54d6931f7f6ddda0ef6ada178156f06fe037bbb6.jpg", "title": "View looking southeast - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "alt": "View looking southeast - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "date": "Photograph date not recorded", "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress", "creator": "Creator not identified", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0660.photos.317291p/", "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.", "license": "Public domain", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "View looking southeast - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0660/photos/317291pv.jpg" }, { "id": "ae79f6e040ba7a6a0389", "image": "/county-images/f7839ab2428d11e7fde192bca17f85afc8f33b68fcd60767482c066143b9360f.jpg", "title": "View looking southwest - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "alt": "View looking southwest - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "date": "Photograph date not recorded", "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress", "creator": "Creator not identified", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0660.photos.317293p/", "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.", "license": "Public domain", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "View looking southwest - Saybrook Breakwater Light, South tip of west end of Saybrook Breakwater, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT", "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0660/photos/317293pv.jpg" } ] }