Lighthouse seeking artifacts

The newly-refurbished Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is collecting materials to curate a museum exhibit about the 5 lighthouses that used to grace the Providence River

Posted 10/22/18

The Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, built in 1871 and the only one surviving of the five lighthouses that once guided ships through the Providence River, was officially reopened in June following extensive …

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Lighthouse seeking artifacts

The newly-refurbished Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is collecting materials to curate a museum exhibit about the 5 lighthouses that used to grace the Providence River

Posted

The Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, built in 1871 and the only one surviving of the five lighthouses that once guided ships through the Providence River, was officially reopened in June following extensive renovations.
 
The Museum Committee of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is now seeking to document and exhibit items related to all the East Providence lighthouses, including 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.
 
Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is seeking donation of photographs, historical documents, artifacts or items relating to Pomham Rocks or the other four lighthouses and the keepers who maintained them.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.

Pomham Rocks lighthouse

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