Safe Boating

From fort to lighthouse, Rose Island a historically rich place

By Roz Butziger
Posted 1/28/16

A romantic place to spend the night or a fun location to visit for swimming and picnicking, little Rose Island lies near the Newport-Pell Bridge in the East Passage. This picturesque island is the …

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Safe Boating

From fort to lighthouse, Rose Island a historically rich place

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A romantic place to spend the night or a fun location to visit for swimming and picnicking, little Rose Island lies near the Newport-Pell Bridge in the East Passage. This picturesque island is the inspiration for many tales of ghosts and hauntings based on some of its history.

In the late 1700’s Fort Hamilton was built on this 18 acre island with 60 guns and stone barracks designed to house 300 troops behind its 3-4 foot thick walls.  A couple of decades later, these barracks were used as a quarantine hospital for patients during the Newport cholera epidemic. Many died there. It is reported that later a few people stole their bodies for research.

In 1869 the southwest bastion of Fort Hamilton was filled in to accommodate a lighthouse. Lighthouse keepers had gardens and farm animals even when the military was stationed there. One keeper brought over a cow on a ferry and, when the ferry was unable to approach close enough to put down a gangplank, he made the poor cow swim ashore. 

Charles Curtis was Rose Island lighthouse keeper the longest, and lived there with his wife Christina from 1887 – 1908. They raised their daughter Mabel there and later cared for their grandson until he went to school. Keeper Curtis loved the island and took his duties very seriously. They say his ghost walks around the lighthouse still, checking to see all is well, and some believe they can smell the sugar cookies his wife is baking. When workers were excavating for construction of a water tower, they unearthed skeletons in Civil War era clothing. They were immediately reburied on the island. A recent TV episode of Ghost Hunters showed the TAPS team exploring Rose Island for unexplained images on photographs and strange noises.

Storms took their toll. High winds displaced the tower and cracked the beacon lamp. Another gale blew down the chimney, severely damaged the roof, and flooded the lighthouse. In 1894 the steamer Plymouth grounded on the south shore of Rose Island with 700 passengers aboard. All got off the ship and no one was lost. It wasn’t until 18 years later that the fog signal house was built on a rock next to the lighthouse.

During World Wars I and II Rose Island was used to store explosives. The thick walls of the barracks were considered to be bomb-proof. During World War II anti-aircraft guns were added near the lighthouse, and many torpedoes were stored on the island. The flashing beacon did not stop all mishaps. In 1958 two tankers collided in a fog and burned furiously. One floated very close to the lighthouse and the intense heat made the keepers run for their lives. They survived, but 18 crewmen from the tankers did not.

You can cruise by and take pictures, or go ashore to picnic, swim, and explore. The Newport-Jamestown Ferry makes regular stops there if you are without a boat. If you want a special getaway, you can reserve a room in the first floor museum or in the keeper’s quarters, or even in the barracks or fog horn house. If you want the full experience, you can become a keeper for a week and do light chores, mowing the grass, painting, and raising the flag. Sit among the wild roses, enjoy the view, and see if you can smell Christina Curtis’ sugar cookies.

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