Site Description:

Environment: Bay

Additional Info:

Site History:

An unusual and historic light casts its rays on the swells of New London Harbor: the New London Ledge Light. Most offshore lighthouses have cast-iron frames, but the only things cast here are fishing lines and the lantern rising from the top center of the roof. This square brick house-French Second Empire style-was built in 1909, when demand for a navigational aid in New London reached its peak. Residents along the New London shore insisted that a grand lighthouse was needed to match the beauty of their mansions, and they got their wish.

The lightkeepers are also gone; all except for one, that is. The lightkeeper's house is notorious for its ghost. A former keeper of the light named Ernie apparently jumped from the top balcony after his wife eloped with a ferry boat captain. Some claim that Ernie still plays tricks with local ferries.

Once past the New London Ledge Light, the historic Thames River opens wide before you. Of course, it's not the historic Thames of London, but the first colonists here did name this Thames River after the one in London. They may have been short on imagination, or maybe they were just full of pride. Whatever the reason, it took guts to survey this meager settlement with its few miserable log cabins and call it New London-as in London, what was then the greatest city on earth, monetary capital of the world, cultural center extraordinaire, and the home of the King. Optimistic blokes, they were.

Nevertheless, New London has come a long way since those early days. In fact, if those first settlers were to show up now, they might well feel their vision had been fulfilled: the city has become a major shipping, military, and educational center. So far has this river come from its beginnings that one riverside placard reads: "Thames...the streets of dreams and the river of promise."

Yes, the Thames has lived up to its promise by becoming a popular shipping port. Draining across old crystalline rocks in a narrow, crooked valley, the river remains almost sandless. It seems that a glacier left the lower Thames broad and deep, a perfect channel for big ships to come and go. Testament to the harbor's commercial promise, New London's first customs master was appointed in 1659, just 13 years after the town was deeded to Governor John Winthrop Jr. A year later, shipbuilding began along the harbor shores.

New London has never relinquished its position as a major shipping port. At one point during the 1880s, the city laid claim to the second-largest whaling fleet in the nation with 72 ships, one fewer than New Bedford, Massachusetts. More important has been the presence of American armed services in the area. In addition to the Coast Guard Academy located north of the bridges, the river also sports the Electric Boat submarine facility in Groton.

Across the river, Groton is known as the "submarine capital of the world." The U.S.S Nautilus , the first nuclear sub, was built here in the early 1950s and launched from this site in 1954. In 1981, Electric Boat launched the first of the new Trident-class nuclear attack subs. Each of these 560-foot subs carries 24 missiles that can land within 20 feet of a target located 4,000 miles away.

New London Harbor As Seen In 1777

Defending the town during the colonial period were Fort's Trumbull, Nonsense and Town Hill with the latter two being more of a battery with cannon than a fort. Trumbull was erected during the war to stop any raiding ships coming up the Thames River and was actually more of a blockhouse than fort. It's lack of defensive position against land attack proved to be costly. Town Hill and Nonsense were two "forts" that were high above New London and could provide a good view of ships on the Long Island Sound and to provide support fire in case of attack. A battery was established early on in 1775 at the foot of State Street facing the Thames River and was manned by a dozen men or so. Another was at Winthrop Cove near the modern day Gold Star Bridge to protect an important wharf and shipyard owned by Guy Richards. Otherwise defensive positions or watch posts were set up along the Connecticut coast under the watchful eye of the Sea Coast Guard manned by units of 5-20 men. It is known that there were such at points near modern day Waterford Beach /Harkness/Great Neck, Millstone Point and into Lyme at Black Point and near the Nehantic Village at current day Crescent Beach. These posts would alarm each other in case there was any threat of attack.

A series of signals were established to notify the countryside of:

2 Consecutive Shots by Cannon -Alarm for Help (Militia)

3 Consecutive Shots by Cannon - A prize has been taken (Privateer) & has arrived in New London

In addition each of the guard posts would use fires to signal the call to arms.

The Shaw Mansion built by Nathaniel Shaw and later "run" by his son Thomas Shaw would become the naval office of Connecticut and has been regarded as the start of the US Navy. Nathaniel then in his early 70s had handed the business over to his son Thomas. Thomas a trader, ship builder, farmstead owner, and merchant made a vast fortune in shipping during the colonial times leading to the American Revolution. At the start of hostilities in 1775 the Shaw began to outfit under the permission of the Governor of Connecticut Johnathan Trumbull, ships of line to wreak havoc on British supply ships. This type of legal piracy was an extremely effective tool for the colonies as there was not any serious American navy at this point. The ship owner and his investors would share in the profis of the goods that were taken and resold usually at the docks at escalated prices. A share would then go to the coiffures of the state and everyone was happy. New London was a leader in this and later the home of the Shaw family would become the Naval Office for the State of Connecticut.