On a recent trip to New England, I had the opportunity to stay two nights near Providence, Rhode Island. Since I was staying two nights, I wanted to make sure I had the opportunity to see at least one lighthouse. I had stopped in Providence to conduct research for my Master's thesis at the Rhode Island Historical Society (RIHS). When I completed my research, I asked if there were any lighthouses that were viewable from land. I knew that many of Rhode Island's lighthouses stood in the middle of the water and were best seen by boat, but I had hoped to get a good view from land because I knew the departure times for the boat tours were not compatible with my research time. Maybe next time.
A very nice young lady, whose name I forgot to obtain, at the RIHS was kind enough to tell me about Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in East Providence, Rhode Island. She said it was viewable from the East Bay Bicycle Path (EBBP) and gave me directions on how to get there. I saw a parking lot for the EBBP, but the weather looked like it could downpour at any moment. Since I did not have my umbrella with my, I decided to see if the lighthouse was viewable from other places that would not have me walking a great distance should it start to rain. Pomham Rocks is visible from other locations, but the views are not as good.
The first place I viewed the lighthouse from was Sabin Point Park. Sabin Point Park is a few miles south of the lighthouse. It offers a decent view, but the distance really requires binoculars or a camera with a really good zoom. The following picture was taken from Sabin Point Park with a 10 X optical zoom and 4 X digital zoom camera. As you can see that zoom still did not allow for a very good picture
Since Sabin Point did not offer a very good view, I continued to seek out another venue. I found one off Crest Avenue at the entrance to the East Providence Public Works facility. This location gives a much closer view, but of the backside of the lighthouse. The view is also cluttered with the Public Works' buildings, not to mention the smell. Below is the picture I took from Crest Avenue, which I cropped to eliminate as much of the industrial clutter as possible.
It did seem as though the lighthouse might be visible from the Stonegate Condominiums on Bullocks Point Avenue (RI 103/Veteran's Memorial Highway), but the condominiums are private property and the owners may not appreciate people driving through to see the lighthouse. The lighthouse is visible from Narragansett Boulevard (US 1), Edgewood Yacht Club, or the Stillhouse Cove Boat Ramp on the west side of the river leading into Providence Harbor, but the distance again requires the use of a high powered zoom camera or Binoculars.
After snapping a couple of pictures, I headed back towards my hotel near the airport. It was great to see this very interesting lighthouse, but next time I am in town, I will definitely plan my schedule around the sightseeing boat tour so that I can get a close up of the lighthouse to share.
