New Haven, CT – Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound will open the historic Stratford Point Lighthouse for public tours on June 11th. The lighthouse, located at 1275 Prospect Drive, Stratford, CT will be open for public tours from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. rain or shine.
The property, which is traditionally closed to the public, is owned and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard and includes the keeper’s house, which serves as government housing. “Lighthouses are an important part of our nation's maritime history. For over two and a half centuries they have guided distress mariners safely into port and continue to serve as a reminder of our importance of our maritime industry,” says Captain Ed Cubanski. “Each lighthouse has a story to tell whether that story is of their navigation importance, the heroes and heroines that stood the watch, or their place in the community like the Stratford Point Lighthouse.”
The first light on Stratford Point was a wooden, octagonal structure built in 1822 and was replaced with the current cast iron tower in 1881. Lighthouses were first managed by the U.S. government in 1789, with the creation of the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment, later becoming the U.S. Lighthouse Service. The U.S. Coast Guard took charge of lighthouses on July 1, 1939, when the services merged.