Falkner Island
Falkner Island is a 4.5 acre crescent-shaped island located in
Long Island Sound 3 miles off the coast of
Guilford,
Connecticut,
USA. Its
lighthouse constructed in
1802 and commissioned by President
Thomas Jefferson warns of the dangerous shoals and shallows in the area. It is the second-oldest lighthouse in Connecticut (after New London) and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. It is 46 feet tall, octagonal in cross-section and built of brownstone lined with brick. Automated in
1978 it continues to operate as a navigational aid. The
Intracoastal Waterway runs nearby. The island is part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and has the fifth-largest colony of nesting roseate terns in the Northeast.
Bibliography
- "New worry for historic lighthouse fans. (Coast Guard may excess lighthouse on Falkner Island, in Long Island Sound)" by Nick Ravo, The New York Times August 15, 1993
- "Roseate Tern Recovery: Progress and Challenges" by Rena R. Borkhataria, Endangered Species Bulletin, Sept 1998
- "New England Lighthouses: Bay of Fundy to Long Island Sound" by Bruce Roberts et al., Chelsea House, November 1999
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