JAMESTOWN, R.I.—Jamestown officials are worried that the Beavertail Lighthouse and surrounding park may become the target of vandals now that the lighthouse won't be occupied.
The lighthouse had a live-in caretaker for 30 years before the Coast Guard -- which owns the facility -- told the town that it would no longer allow someone to live there.
Town Administrator Bruce Keiser says the site is "ripe for misuse" because of its isolation more than four miles from downtown.
Town counselor Robert Sutton says the last time the lighthouse didn't have a caretaker in 1972, break-ins and graffiti became a problem.
The Coast Guard says it doesn't want someone living at the lighthouse because of safety issues.
Beavertail, built in 1749, is the third oldest lighthouse in the country.
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Information from: The Newport Daily News
