Pomham Rocks, a small island on the Providence River, is located in the Riverside section of East Providence, Rhode Island. Pomham Rocks was selected as the site for a navigational aid due to a substantial uptick in shipping traffic during the early 1800s when a daymark structure was placed on the island. Lasting 40 years, the marker was replaced with a beautiful lighthouse and several support buildings.
   At that time the Pomham Rocks Lighthouse was one of three new lighthouse on the river. Designed in a French Empire mansard architecture style, the lighthouse consisted of seven rooms and a 42 foot tall tower. First lit in December, 1871, the lighthouse was equipped with a sixth order Fresnel lens. Later, the lens was upgraded to a 4th order lens. Scaling back its inventory, the lighthouse was put up for bids in 1978. The sale was completed in 1980, giving Mobil Oil Corporation ownership of the lighthouse and the islands of Pomham Rocks. Local citizens contacted Exxon Mobil Corporation in 2000 with the hope of restoring the lighthouse to its 1871 appearance. When Exxon Mobil agreed, the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse began to raise funds for restoration of the exterior. By May, 2006, when the restoration work was completed, the Coast Guard allowed the lighthouse to be re-lit as an active aid to navigation. Interior work began in 2017 and by spring of the following year, the Friends of Pomham Rocks began the task of putting together a museum inside the lighthouse for visitors to see on opening day. On June 10, 2018 the first guests arrived at the lighthouse, marking a 14 year long restoration process. Visitors to the lighthouse may take a 30-minute boat ride aboard the Lady Pomham II from the Water Street marina in East Providence for a tour.

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