Lighthouse A 58-foot wooden tower built in 1749, under the direction of architect Peter Harrison of Newport, burned down in 1753. It was replaced by a fieldstone tower which was in use until 1856, when the present tower and keeper's quarters were completed. Fort Burnside was established in 1942 as part of the
Harbor Defenses of Narragansett Bay. By late 1943, a
battery of two
6-inch guns (152 mm) and a battery of two
3-inch guns (76 mm) were established. The 6-inch battery was called Battery Construction Number (BCN) 213, with ammunition
magazines in a large bunker and the guns in shielded mounts. The 3-inch battery was called Battery Whiting; the guns were relocated from
Fort Getty and the battery name was retained. A large Army-Navy Harbor Entrance Control Post, disguised as a seaside mansion, was also built and still exists. Fort Burnside also hosted a US Navy
indicator loop station for detecting submarines (Station 1H). A battery of two
16-inch guns (406 mm), similar to those at
Fort Church and
Fort Greene and called BCN 110, was proposed for Fort Burnside but never built. With the war over, Fort Burnside's guns were scrapped in 1948.
Radio station From circa 1960 to 1974, part of the former Fort Burnside was used for the Naval Radio Station (NAVRADSTA) Jamestown, part of Naval Communications Station (NAVCOMMSTA) Newport. It had a distinctive 600-foot (180-meter) radio tower.
State park The state created Beavertail State Park in 1980, after the site was declared federal surplus land. The park is used for sightseeing, hiking, picnicking, and saltwater fishing. Nature programs are offered seasonally. ==See also==