Poplar Point Light

Poplar Point Light is a wooden lighthouse with an octagonal tower and an attached keeper's dwelling at the entrance to Wickford Harbor. The site sits on roughly 0.6 acres and still preserves the original stone keeper's building.

The tower was built in 1831 and guided ships safely into the harbor until 1882, when a newer lighthouse replaced it. This change reflected the evolution of harbor safety and navigation technology in the 19th century.

The structure shows how lighthouses once served as homes for keepers, with the tower built directly onto the house. You can still see today how these buildings were designed for the daily lives of their inhabitants.

The site is best explored on foot and offers views of the harbor from different vantage points around the grounds. Visitors should expect uneven terrain and pathways that lead to different parts of the property.

This building is considered the oldest standing wooden lighthouse tower in America and represents a time before metal construction became standard. Its survival makes it a rare witness to early American lighthouse design.

Location: Washington County

Inception: 1765

GPS coordinates: 41.57083,-71.43972

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:07