Plum Beach Light


University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Published in 2007

Collection Overview

Title: Plum Beach Light
Date range: 1864-2000
Creator: Bradner, Lawrence H.
Extent: 4 box(es)
(2.5 linear feet)
Abstract: The collection consists of print and audio/visual material regarding the construction, history, and restoration of the Plum Beach lighthouse.
Language of materials: English
Repository: University Archives and Special Collections
Collection number: Mss. Gr. 138

Scope & content

The collection contains original notes, interview tapes and notes, photographs, photocopies of news articles, and correspondence, both original and photocopied, regarding the construction, history, and restoration of the Plum Beach lighthouse. Also contains ancillary material regarding 19th and early 20th century lighthouse and maritime history in the New England area.

Arrangement

Materials accessioned in 2007 were interfiled with the existing unprocessed Plum Beach Light research materials accessioned in 1990. The collection is arranged in alphabetical order. Oversized materials are at the end of the collection; some plans and oversized materials are stored in the map case. The collection is arranged in one series.

  • 1. Subject File

Historical Information

In 1988, Lawrence H. Bradner, inspired by an inaccurate news article on the Plum Beach Light, began to record the history living in the people who still remembered when the lighthouse served as an important guide to ships in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay. The lighthouse was closed permanently in 1941. In preparation for writing what became a book on the subject, Bradner amassed information regarding all aspects of the Plum Beach Lighthouse and some information on lighthouses in general in the New England area. The Plum Beach Light : the birth, life, and death of a lighthouse, 1989 was the final result of this labor.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: Open for research.
Use of the materials: Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.
Preferred citation: Plum Beach Light Research Collection, Mss. Gr. 138, University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections.
Contact information: University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: Gift of Lawrence H. Bradner. The materials were deposited by Bradner in the University Archives and Special Collections in two accessions, in 1990 and in 2007.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Sarina R. Wyant.
Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Sarina R. Wyant on 2007 Oct 15, updated by Hailie D. Posey on 2009 Aug 05, updated by Mark Dionne on 2020 April 10
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material: The book, The Plum Beach Light : the birth, life, and death of a lighthouse published 1989 is in the Rhode Island Collection. A collection of papers related to Bradner as Episcopal priest and chaplain of the Rhode Island State Hospital were separated from the 2007 accession and made a distinct collection, Rev. Lawrence H. Bradner Papers, Mss. Gr. 206. The following books were removed and cataloged in the Rhode Island Collection:Great storms and famous shipwrecks of the New England coast by Edward Rowe Snow; Boston, Mass. : The Yankee Publishing Company, 1946, 3d ed. and Picture postcard views of Rhode Island lighthouses and beacons : together with a brief history of lifesaving stations / an excursion with commentary by Mildred Santille Longo; Providence, RI : Rhode Island Publications Society, 1990.

Inventory


Inventory

Series 1. Subject File, 1864-2000
3, 1 oversize box(es)
(2.5 linear feet)

Contains material regarding the construction, history, and restoration of the Plum Beach lighthouse. Also contains ancillary material regarding 19th and early 20th century lighthouse and maritime history in the New England area. The series is arranged in alphabetical order by topic.

Container Description Date
Box 1 , Folder 1 Babcock, Edwin S. (Babbie)
1985
Box 1 , Folder 2 Books and Articles, excerpts
1922,1985, undated
Box 1 , Folder 3 Burroughs, Frank, articles, publications, letters re.
1882-1903
Box 1 , Folder 4 Cook, Charles interview notes
1987, 198[?]
Box 1 , Folder 5 Corps of Engineers
1864,1876, undated
Box 1 , Folder 6 Correspondence re. research and publication
1985-1990
Box 1 , Folder 7 Crolius, Richard W., interview notes and articles
1938, 198[?]
Box 1 , Folder 8 Divelly, Bill and Helen, interview notes
1984
Box 1 , Folder 9 Drafts, notes, chapter 1
198[?]
Box 1 , Folder 10 Drafts, notes, chapters 1-3
198[?]
Box 1 , Folder 11 Drafts, notes, chapters 4-6
1988
Box 1 , Folder 12 Drafts, notes, 3.25 computer discs
1984-198[5]
Box 1 , Folder 13 Eaton, Joseph L., articles re.
undated
Box 1 , Folder 14 Establishing light and fog signal
1895-1901
Box 1 , Folder 15 Nancy Blunt Farin, memoir re. Plum Beach
1984
Box 1 , Folder 16 Friends of Plum Beach Light
1992-2000
Box 1 , Folder 17 Heap, David Porter, publication excerpts
1881, 1889
Box 2 , Folder 18 Images, illustrations
Box 2 , Folder 19 Images, illustrations (also in map case)
Box 2 , Folder 20 Interview notes and cassette tapes:Earl Camwell, Alda Kay, Waldo Wright
198[?]
Box 2 , Folder 21 Light House Board index strips
198[?]
Box 2 , Folder 22 Light House keepers, notes and articles re.
1901-1993
Box 2 , Folder 23 Light house keeper, Erie Huling, articles and letters re.
1970-1997
Box 2 , Folder 24 Light house keeper, John Ganze, interview notes
198[?]
Box 2 , Folder 25 Ludlow, William, book excerpts articles re.
1896, 1901, 1969
Box 2 , Folder 26 McAndrews Eugene PhD dissertation: William Ludlow
1973
Box 2 , Folder 27 Mock-ups and publishing information
1988-1989
Box 3 , Folder 28 National Maritime Initiative, preliminary inventory of aids to navigation with United States Coastguard Lighthouse Policy Review
1992
Box 3 , Folder 29 Osborn, James re. lawsuit
1970-1998
Box 3 , Folder 30 Plum Beach Light, articles re. history of
1971, undated
Box 3 , Folder 31 Plum Beach Light ownership, disposition, closing, restoration
1895-2004
Box 3 , Folder 32 Putnam, George, Sentinal of the Coasts excerpt
[1937]
Box 3 , Folder 33 Repairs and reinforcement
1896-1899
Box 3 , Folder 34 Research notes
198[?]
Box 3 , Folder 35 Research notes, articles re. weather
1918, 1928, 1977
Box 3 , Folder 36 Research notes re. construction
198[?]
Box 3 , Folder 37 Research notes re. Aldrich
198[?]
Box 3 , Folder 38 Steamer Harmmonton, log excerpt
1938
Box 4 , Folder 39 Aldrich, Nelson articles and correspondence re
1891, 1939, 1987, 1980
Box 4 , Folder 40 Blizzard of 1898
1898 Nov 27
Box 4 , Folder 41 Jamestown Bridge construction
1940, 1941, 1988
Box 4 , Folder 42 Hurricane of 1938, articles re.
1938, 1988, 1993
Box 4 , Folder 43 Light house articles and miscellaneous publications re.
1921, 1985-1988
Box 4 , Folder 44 Maritime issues, articles re.
1880, 1896 - 1899
Box 4 , Folder 45 Navigation and shipping, articles re.
1888, 1896
Box 4 , Folder 46 Providence and Stonington Steamship Co, articles, letters re.
1886-1892
Box 4 , Folder 47 Plum Beach Light construction, plans and articles re. (also in map case)
1895, 1896, 1899, 1919
Box 4 , Folder 48 Whale Rock Light, articles re. letterbook index, plans
1876, 1923, 1939, 1971