On May 24, the Newport Historical Society is teaming up with the U.S. Coast Guard and other groups to honor Ida Lewis, a legendary lighthouse keeper, at a graveside ceremony.
The event takes place at the Common Burying Ground on Farewell Street, celebrating Lewis’s life and her 50-plus years of service at Light Station Lime Rock in Newport Harbor.
Lewis saved at least 18 lives during her tenure. Her most famous rescue happened on March 29, 1869, when she rowed through a snowstorm at night to save soldiers from drowning.
The ceremony includes the placement of a bronze U.S. Lighthouse Service grave marker by the crew of the USCGC Ida Lewis, a 175-foot Keeper-class buoy tender named after her.
Lenore Skomal, author of “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter,” is the keynote speaker. She’s joined by Jeremy D’Entremont, historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society, and Chief Warrant Officer Nathaniel Sanchez, commanding officer of the USCGC Ida Lewis.
Lewis received many honors in her lifetime. President Ulysses S. Grant visited her in 1869, and she became the first woman to receive the nation’s highest lifesaving decoration, the Gold Lifesaving Medal, in 1881.
In 1924, the Rhode Island General Assembly officially changed Lime Rock’s name to Ida Lewis Rock, renaming the light station as Ida Lewis Lighthouse.
The event is free and open to everyone. You can park at the Gateway Center or the Common Burying Ground.
For more details, check out newporthistory.org.
