Lighthouse Group Seeks Historical Items

Built in 1876, Bullocks Point Lighthouse was damaged in the 1938 hurricane and torn down the following year. A skeleton tower now stands on the stone foundation. Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is looking for historical items relating to the local lighthouse.

U.S. Coast Guard dress blue uniform that was worn by Dennis Tardiff when the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1974. Mr. Tardiff was the last member of the Coast Guard to serve as lighthouse keeper at Pomham Rocks Lighthouse.

Posted Monday, October 1, 2018 12:00 am

Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse officially opened the Lighthouse in June, following extensive restoration of the interior of the structure. The landmark light station, built in 1871, is the only one surviving of the five lighthouses that once guided ships through the Providence River.

The Museum Committee of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is now seeking to document and exhibit items related to, not only Pomham Rocks, but the other four East Providence lighthouses – Bullocks Point, Sabin Point, Fuller Rock and Sassafras Point. Rooms on the first and second floor of the Lighthouse will serve as a museum dedicated to preserving this important local history.

Built in 1876, Bullocks Point Lighthouse was heavily damaged by the 1938 hurricane and taken down soon after. Sabin Point Lighthouse, built in 1872, was burned down in 1968. Fuller Rock, a wooden tower structure built in 1872, was destroyed by a gas tank explosion in 1923. Sassafras Point, another hexagonal wooden tower built in 1872, was removed in 1912 in order to widen the channel.

East Providence has a rich history related to its navigational lights. Six lightkeepers and their families maintained Pomham Rocks from its opening in December 1871 until 1953. They included C.H. Salisbury and his wife, Mary (1871-1893), Nathaniel Dodge (1893-1898), Thomas Fishburn (1898-1908), Adolph Aronson (1908-1937), William J. Howard (1937-1951) and Howard B. Beebe (1951-1956). They were followed by Coast Guard members until 1974, and then private families, until the Lighthouse was declared surplus federal property in 1978.

Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is seeking donation of photographs, historical documents, artifacts or items relating to Pomham Rocks or the other four lighthouses and the keepers who maintained them. No item is too large or small – from the fog bell used at Pomham Rocks or the Fresnel lens from Bullocks Point to letters or family photographs from lighthouse keepers. The group is also interested in items related to lighthouse history in general.

The volunteer group is committed to finding and preserving examples of lighthouse history and making them available for the public to view. Education is key to their mission, and they want to preserve these remnants of the past in order to inform current and future generations. Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is a tax-exempt charitable organization. Individuals who would like to donate items to the museum can contact Alex Dias at history@pomhamrockslighthouse.org.