Penfield Reef Lighthouse Postcard

A vintage photograph of the Penfield Reef Lighthouse on Long Island Sound in Connecticut. Penfield Reef Lighthouse, completed in 1874, is a significant example of mid-nineteenth-century lighthouse engineering and design. It was among the last water-bound masonry lighthouses constructed in the United States before the U.S. Lighthouse Board switched to cast-iron materials in the 1870s. Its Second Empire design reflected the national enthusiasm for revival architectural styles. Penfield Reef Lighthouse is also significant in the history of navigational aids in Long Island Sound as part of the federal program to accommodate post-Civil War shipping in Bridgeport Harbor.