LIGHTHOUSE SHINES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, located off the coast of Riverside, will cast an even brighter light this holiday season.
And you won’t need a boat to see them. The railing of the catwalk surrounding the lantern room, atop the island light station, is aglow with decorative white lights to usher in the holidays. A giant wreath on the east side of the oil house, facing the Riverside shore, is also trimmed with white lights.
Red, white and green lights are wrapped around the lighthouse. The flagpole and the recently installed white picket fence on the south and west sides of the island now glow in a rainbow of colors. Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse invite local residents to view the decorated lighthouse from the East Bay Bike Path. Park in the lot at the corner of Bullocks Point Avenue and Washington Avenue, next to Dairy Bee. The Bike Path is to the north, across Washington Avenue. It’s a short walk from the parking lot to a scenic view of the lighthouse. The lights will be turned on at 4:00 PM and will remain lit until 11:00 PM through January 5. Bring your camera to capture a festive view of this historical landmark and a flashlight to safely return to your car.
The lighting marks the conclusion of a successful year for Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. Members volunteered their time and talent to repaint all the interior rooms to their original Victorian-era colors. The second phase of picket fencing replaced the deteriorating chain-link fence on the west side of the island. Historically accurate wooden storm windows and operable shutters were installed on all 19 windows of the lighthouse. In the third year of public tours to the lighthouse, Friends welcomed more than 500 guests from throughout New England, as well as New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Washington state and Puerto Rico to tour Pomham Rocks Lighthouse this year.
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, is the last surviving lighthouse in upper Narragansett Bay. Since 2004, Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse have made it their mission to protect and preserve this New England landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. To learn more or to join the Friends, visit www.pomhamrockslighthouse.org.