Castle Hill Lighthouse is located on Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...

 in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

 at the end of the historic Ocean Drive

Ocean Drive Historic District

The Ocean Drive Historic District covers the long street of the same name along the southern shore of Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1976....

 and is an active navigation aid for the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 and boaters entering the East Passage between Jamestown, Rhode Island

Jamestown, Rhode Island

Jamestown is a town located in Newport County, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 5,405 at the 2010 census. Jamestown is situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island, the second largest island in Narragansett Bay.-History:...

 on Conanicut Island

Conanicut Island

Conanicut Island is the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. It is connected on the east to Newport, Rhode Island, on Aquidneck Island by the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, and on the west to North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on the...

, and Newport, Rhode Island on Aquidneck Island

Aquidneck Island

Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...

. The lighthouse was completed in 1890 on property formerly belonging to the famous naturalist, oceanographer, and zoologist Alexander Agassiz of Harvard University. Agassiz sold land to the United States Government for the lighthouse for $1.00. After the hurricane of 1938, Mrs. Maximillian Agassiz, daughter-in-law of Alexander, sold the rest of the property to J. T. O'Connell, whose descendants are the current owners of the Castle Hill Inn and Resort. Although the lighthouse is not open to the public, the shoreline and clifface where the lighthouse sits is accessible by several footpaths from the Castle Hill Inn. The Castle Hill Lighthouse has also been and still is used as a starting and/or stopping point in numerous regatta

Regatta

A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...

s. The lighthouse has a red light that flashes about every eight seconds during the night.

External links and references

• Castle Hill Inn and Resort Official Site