Fayerweather Island facts for kids

Fayerweather Island is a small piece of land, about 7.5 acres, located in Long Island Sound. It is part of the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and sits just south of Seaside Park. The island is home to a growing coastal forest, mostly made up of white oak and Eastern red cedar trees. You can also find the historic Black Rock Harbor Light on the island, a lighthouse built in 1823 at the entrance to Black Rock Harbor.

About Fayerweather Island

Fayerweather Island is not very high above the water, only about 3 feet (1 meter) at its highest point. The NOAA, which studies weather and oceans, has a special weather station on the island called FWIC3. This station helps scientists collect important weather information.

History of Fayerweather Island

Fayerweather Island has a long and interesting history, especially because of its important lighthouse.

Early Days and the Lighthouse

• 1807: The United States Government bought the island from David Fayerweather.
• 1823: The current lighthouse, known as the Black Rock Harbor Light, was built. It replaced an older wooden lighthouse that had been washed away by a hurricane. The new lighthouse was made with very strong stone walls, about four feet thick! A house for the lighthouse keeper was also built at this time.

Protecting the Island

• 1837–1838: A strong granite wall, called a "seawall," was built. This wall helped protect the island and the lighthouse from the ocean's waves.
• 1849: The seawall was made even longer. It connected to another part of Fayerweather Island that had become a sandbar.
• 1844: The top part of the lighthouse, where the bright light shines, was rebuilt.
• 1873: The house where the lighthouse keeper lived was rebuilt. It was designed to have its own water supply system.
• 1894: A big project was completed to dig a deeper channel around the island. This made it easier for boats to get into the harbor, even at low tide. The seawall was also repaired and made better.

Connecting to the Mainland

• 1911: The city of Bridgeport bought Fayerweather Island. Work began on building a new seawall that would connect the island to the western end of Seaside Park.
• 1919: The new seawall and a roadway were finished. This finally connected the upper part of Fayerweather Island (which is now part of Seaside Park) to the older sections of the park.
• 1933: The lighthouse was no longer needed for guiding ships, so it was officially stopped from operating.
• 1977: Sadly, the old lighthouse keeper's house was destroyed by a fire.
• 1986: A very large fish, a 17-pound 14-ounce weakfish, was caught near the island. This was a state record at the time!