The Conimicut "Sparkplug" Lighthouse

3D Model

The Conimicut lighthouse was built in Narragansett Bay in 1883 using some of the most innovative engineering methods of the 19th century. The Brooklyn Bridge, also completed in 1883, would not have been possible without pneumatic caissons, the same engineering method used to build this lighthouse. Check out the annotations to learn a bit about caisson engineering.

The light replaced an earlier 1868 light. Conimicut Lighthouse was automated in the 1960s and was one of the last acetylene gas-powered lights to switch to electricity. Though lighthouses may seem decidedly “old school,” they represent maritime engineering chutzpah and innovation and look pretty cool.

The City of Warwick was awarded a grant in 2022 to restore the lighthouse. It still serves a practical purpose, indicating to boaters and sea captains the dangers posed by the sandbar on which it rests.