List of Falkner Island Light keepers

There have been many Falkner Island Light keepers throughout the history of the lighthouse. The Falkner Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Connecticut, United States, off Guilford Harbor on Long Island Sound. The lighthouse was constructed in 1802 and commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, warning of dangerous shoals and shallows in the area. Falkner Island Light is the second oldest extant lighthouse in Connecticut and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

List of keepers

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Name Year Reference Service Notes
Joseph Griffing 1802–1812 [1]
Solomon Stone, Jr. 1812–1818 [1]
Eli Kimberly 1818–1851 [1] Appointed by President James Monroe; an incident on July 4, 1829 where drunken guests damaged the lighthouse equipment resulted in the passage of a law barring liquor sales at light stations.[2] Raised twelve children with his wife Marion, on the island.[3]
Oliver N. Brooks
Mary Brooks (assistant)
1851–1882
1879–1882
[1] In 1858, Oliver Brooks received a medal for heroism for rescuing five people from a ship grounded on the rocks near the lighthouse.[2]
William Jones
Frank Parmelee (assistant)
1882 – c. 1890
1884–1890
[1]
Ernest Hermann 1890–1901 [1]
Howard Poe
James Boyce (assistant)
William J. Hannighan (assistant)
Conrad Hawk (assistant)
1901–1909
c. 1905
1906
c. 1909
[1]
Elmer Rathbun 1909–1911 [1]
Arthur Jensen
(Unknown) Gregory (assistant)
Frederick R. Campbell (assistant)
Edward M. Grant (assistant)
Herbert L. Greenwood (assistant)
April 1911 – July 1916[4]
Unknown
1912–1913
1914
1915–1916
[1][4]



Became keeper from 1916–1919.[1]
Herbert L. Greenwood
Leonard Fuller (assistant)
1916–1919
April–November, 1919[4]
[1][4] Originally an assistant from 1915–1916.[1]
Became headkeeper in November 1919.[4]
Leonard Fuller
William Hardwick (assistant)
Adelard Bussiere (assistant)
November 1919 – October 1924[4]
c.1920
October 1922 – May 1926[4]
[1][4]
Samuel Fuller
Fred Braffire (assistant)
October 1924 – March 1926[4]
c.1924
[1] Brother of Leonard Fuller.[4]
Robert L. Howard
Arthur J. Munzner (a.k.a. Minzner) (assistant)
c. 1927–1928
May 1928 – June 1929[4]
[1]
Arthur J. Munzner (a.k.a. Minzner)
George W. Pendrell (assistant)
June 1929 – 1935[4]
February–October 1930[4]
[4]
George Zuius 1935 or 1936–1941 [1][4] Last civilian Head Keeper of the lighthouse.[4]
Harold Burbine (Coast Guard) c. 1940s [1]
Stephen Talgo (Coast Guard)
William Parker (Coast Guard assistant)
c. 1940s
1945–1946
[1][5]
Returned for 200th birthday celebration.[5]
Gene Carney (Coast Guard) 1956 – November 1957[6]
Robert Baranksi (Coast Guard) 1957–1958 [1][5]
Jim Marshall (Coast Guard)
Marvin White (Coast Guard)
Charles Green (Coast Guard)
1958–1962
1961
1961–1962
[1][4]
Robert Ewing (Coast Guard) c. 1965 [1]
James Overton (Coast Guard Officer in Charge) c. late 1960s [1]
Steve Martin (Coast Guard) 1966–1970 [1][5] Gave a tour with future Falkner Island historian and Faulkner's Light Brigade founder, Joel Helander.[5]
Vernon Durfee (Coast Guard) c.1973 Tony Fox (Coast Guard) c.1973 [1]
Mark Robinson (Coast Guard Officer in Charge)
John Von Ogden (Coast Guard)
1975–1976
1975–1976
[1][5] Officer of the last crew[5]
Engineering officer [5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y D'Entremont, Jeremy. "History of Faulkner's Island Light, Guilford, Connecticut". New England Lighthouses. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Faulkner's (Falkner's) Island, CT". Lighthouse Friends. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Coast Guardsman Returns" (PDF). The Octagon. Spring. 2002.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Hurricane Hannah Foils Open House '08" (PDF). The Octagon. Spring. 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Bicentennial Beacon Beams Brightly on Birthday" (PDF). The Octagon. Spring. 2003.
  6. ^ Helander, Joel (2010). "Reminiscences of a Coast Guard Lightkeeper Gene Carney's Stint on Faulkner's, 1956-1957" (PDF). The Octagon. Spring.