Lighting the Way in Groton

Throughout the years Groton has proudly displayed much of its history and notoriety through various monuments and landmarks. Some of the most visible and memorable of these have included the Groton Monument, Avery Memorial, Groton Town Hall, Griswold Hotel, Submarine Base Diving Tower, Mystic River Bridge and the John Mason statue. Although many of these still remain, some have become victim of the wrecking ball.

In recent years, area residents have become aware of another historically significant landmark in Groton - the Avery Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located on the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point 72-acre campus in the Eastern Point section of the town which was once the estate of philanthropist Morton B. Plant, one of Groton’s most prominent citizens during the early 1900’s. The property, purchased by the State of Connecticut in 1938, was subsequently deeded to the United States Government and became the home of the United States Coast Guard Training Station from 1942 through 1967. The quitclaim deed stipulated that [the Government] “erect and maintain . . . buildings and apparatus to be used in aid of navigation”, fancy words indicating a lighthouse.

To fulfill the requirements of the deed, the Coast Guard completed the lighthouse in March 1943. The 55-foot octagonal shaped structure was built of sand and concrete blocks and has a hand carved wooden lantern room having eight separate windows. A balustrade surrounding the lantern room contains thirty-two Italian marble balusters that once adorned the famous gardens on the Morton Plant estate. Overall, the lighthouse takes on the look of a ‘tower’ rather than a traditional lighthouse.

Due to war concerns the light was not lit until May 2, 1944. It became an official aid to navigation and appeared in the Coast Guard’s List of Lights until 1967, when the Coast Guard moved from Avery Point and the light was extinguished. The beacon characteristic was originally fixed white and in 1960 was changed to flashing green.

Of significance is the fact that this structure has been cited as having been built “as a memorial tower…. and a symbolic representation of the Coast Guard’s lighthouse keeping responsibilities”.

For more than thirty years after the departure of the Coast Guard Station from Groton, very little maintenance was provided to the lighthouse. It deteriorated to such a degree that in 1997 it was deemed a safety hazard and considered for demolition. Shortly thereafter, a group of local citizens established the Avery Point Lighthouse Society for the purpose of saving, restoring and relighting the structure.

Through the tireless efforts of this group, the lighthouse was saved from the wrecking ball. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and restoration of the structure is in progress. A relighting and rededication ceremony is scheduled for September of this year. Thus, a Groton historic landmark has been saved for future generations to savor.

As Groton celebrates it 300^th anniversary the story of this lighthouse exemplifies the theme of Groton’s Tercentennial - “Past, Present and Future”.