Falkner Island Light

New Haven County, United States

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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Falkner Island Light stands on Falkner Island off Guilford Harbor in Long Island Sound, Connecticut, as the second-oldest extant lighthouse in the state. Built in 1802 and commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, the 46-meter tower was designed by Abisha Woodward and constructed of fieldstone, brownstone, and brick. The lighthouse originally included a keeper's house, which was rebuilt in 1851 and again in 1871; the final keeper's house was destroyed by fire in 1976, after which the Coast Guard automated the structure. Since 1991, the Faulkner's Light Brigade, a volunteer organization, has managed restoration and preservation efforts, completing major work in 2011. The site is closed to public access during the May-to-August nesting season of roseate terns. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Falkner Island Light remains an important artifact of early American maritime heritage.