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 region of the U.S.
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
