Information
Landmark: Avery Point LighthouseCity: Groton
Country: USA Connecticut
Continent: North America
Avery Point Lighthouse, Groton, USA Connecticut, North America
Overview
Perched on the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus in Groton, the Avery Point Lighthouse stands as a graceful beacon, its white tower watching over the blue expanse of Long Island Sound.It may be one of New England’s youngest lighthouses, but it still holds cultural, educational, and symbolic weight, standing tall as a beacon for sailors and a proud piece of the region’s rocky, salt‑sprayed coastline.Built in 1943, the lighthouse stands as the last one ever raised in Connecticut, its white tower still catching the salt-bright morning light.The site once housed the Coast Guard Training School, where recruits drilled by the water, before it was handed over to the University of Connecticut.Unlike most older lighthouses, Avery Point served less as a guide for big ships and more as a training station and local beacon, its light sweeping over the quiet waters along Groton’s shore to steer small boats home.Over the years, the structure crumbled-wood splintering, paint peeling-until a wave of local volunteers stepped in to save it in the late 20th century.The Avery Point Lighthouse Society led the charge to restore it, and by the early 2000s, the lighthouse stood gleaming again, a clear sign of the community’s resolve to protect its maritime heritage.Built in the classic New England style, the lighthouse stands square on its granite base, its pale stone catching the first light of dawn.At about 41 feet, it’s not towering-just a modest height, especially next to the massive ocean lighthouses that rise like cliffs above the water.The building’s made of brick and concrete, with touches of stone carved into small, graceful patterns.The Lantern Room holds a small, distinctive lantern housing, its brass fittings polished and restored to working order during the renovations.The lighthouse stands at the far edge of Avery Point’s campus, framed by neat garden paths and open lawns, with sweeping views of Fishers Island Sound and the distant shimmer of Long Island Sound.Perched on a bluff, the lighthouse draws photographers, picnickers, and those who just want a quiet moment-especially when the sky turns gold at sunset.Walking paths wind along the waterfront, where signs share the lighthouse’s story and you can hear gulls calling overhead.Set on a bustling university campus, it bridges the region’s maritime heritage with today’s marine science and education, where students might pause to watch the sunlight flash off the masts in the harbor.Public Access: You can’t usually climb the lighthouse, but you’re free to wander its grounds and walk right up to its weathered stone base any time of year.The grassroots push to restore Avery Point Lighthouse didn’t just save a landmark-it became a shining example of how a community can protect its history.Maritime Identity: It keeps Groton’s deep ties to seafaring alive, from the salt smell of the docks to the steady sweep of a lighthouse beam.The lighthouse connects directly to the University of Connecticut’s marine studies programs and folds into the larger story of New England’s coastal traditions, from weathered fishing docks to salt-heavy sea air.You can visit the Avery Point Lighthouse for free from the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus in Groton, where you’ll find parking, walking paths, interpretive signs, and wide-open grassy spaces.Sunrise paints the Sound in gold, while sunset sets the horizon behind the lighthouse aflame.Though it’s smaller and newer than many New England beacons, it remains a cherished piece of the community’s history.It captures the region’s deep maritime roots and shows how a united community can keep its coastal history alive-like restoring an old lighthouse so the next generation can still see its beam sweep the night.
