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Point Judith Light is located in Rhode Island on the west side of the entrance to Narragansett Bay, and is north of the eastern entrance to the Block Island Sound. It protrudes over a mile into the Atlantic Ocean and has plagued mariners since the first European ships visited the continent. Heavy seas, frequent cold weather and dense fog, which frequent the point, and nearby dangerous shoals such as Squid Ledge have led to the waters around Point Judith being one of a number of sites known to sailors as a “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The first lighthouse was built at Point Judith in the year 1810 for $5,000. This octagonal wooden tower, the third lighthouse in Rhode Island, was destroyed in a severe hurricane in September 1815. A 35-foot stone lighthouse was erected the following year. Shipping traffic past Point Judith remained heavy in the 20th century. In 1907, 22,860 vessels were counted passing the lighthouse in daylight hours. The traffic was four times greater than the traffic entering New York Harbor. The Coast Guard built larger quarters and support buildings in 1937. Today, Coast Guard Station Point Judith handles about 170 search-and-rescue cases each year. While remaining an active Coast Guard station, it is also easily accessible and open to the public during the day. This is a watercolor painting of Point Judith in late summer by Murray Brandon. For more information, check out: http://www.newenglandlighthouses.net/point-judith-light-history.html