Projo — Citing concerns about public access, Westerly seeks to acquire Watch Hill Lighthouse

The Watch Hill Lighthouse is a standout against the sky. Frieda Squires, The Providence Journal

August 3, 2023

By Antonia Noori Farzan

Key Points:

• The federal government is giving away a historic lighthouse in Watch Hill that is a prized fishing spot and has prime views of Taylor Swift's house.

• The Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association, which has maintained the property since the 1980s, says it will continue to provide public access once it takes over. But some in Westerly have doubts.

• Currently, the lighthouse grounds can be used only for "strolling and sightseeing," and only elderly and disabled people can drive on the narrow road that leads there.

WESTERLY — The Town Council is making a last-minute attempt to intervene before the federal government hands over the Watch Hill Lighthouse to a private group, citing concerns that the current plan doesn't guarantee permanent shoreline access to the prized fishing destination.

The council voted 5-to-1 on Monday to approve a resolution that asks for the roughly 4 acres surrounding the lighthouse to be transferred to the Town of Westerly rather than the nonprofit Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association, which has maintained the property since 1986 under an agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard.The town isn't seeking to take over the historical lighthouse itself, but rather is concerned only about the stunning peninsula where it sits, at the southernmost tip of one of the most expensive communities in Rhode Island.

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