A great restoration project, of the long neglected lighthouses of Narragansett Bay, is now largely complete.

Last century, many of the lighthouses were abandoned, and lights placed on buoys took over the job of warning vessels away from navigational hazards. A few, such as Wickford’s on Poplar Point, became residences. The seaward lights at Beavertail and Point Judith were kept in service. But, for the most part, the agencies that owned the lighthouses (mainly the U.S. Coast Guard) had other priorities than maintaining defunct structures. Some fell into the sea. Most were pretty sturdy and survived.

In recent years, communities around the Bay have rallied to save these wonderful landmarks. The best and first example is Rose Island lighthouse, off Newport, now returned to Victorian splendor, including its multicolored shingled roof. The keeper’s house has been returned to service for weekend visitors, who also have the run of the tiny islet in the center of Newport’s yachting race course. Now the restored lighthouses of the Bay number about a dozen. Plum Beach and Dutch Island lights in the West Passage are recent additions.

Over the summer, Save the Bay ( www.savebay.org or [401] 272-3540) will conduct a half-dozen day-long tours by boat of the restored lighthouses, and some that didn’t make it, such as the Whale Rock light, off Narragansett, which was toppled by a huge wave during the 1938 hurricane, with the loss of the assistant lighthouse keeper.