Hooray! On Monday work commenced on Phase 1 replacement of the Custom House roof. Photo, above: The lift arrives!

What's Up at the

Custom House

October 18, 2026

#StandUpForScience #Museums4Science

The Custom House Maritime Museum is open

Thursday and Friday 1-5 PM,

Sat. from 10AM-5 PM, and Sun. from 1-5 PM.

this Tuesday, October 20, 1:30 pm

JIBBOOM CLUB #1

This Tuesday, John Wilbur will talk about the Coastal Picket Patrol of World War II.

These patrol boats were yachts taken into military service, and crewed to a large degree by yachtsmen who were otherwise disqualified or unfit for active service in the armed forces. John is the author of An Unusual way to Fight a War: At Sea with the Offshore Patrol.



Jibboom is not a ‘club’, but a friendly gathering, with a maritime speaker & treats.



Please come and bring a friend. It’s free -- generously sponsored by Rose & Joe Maco.

next Sunday, October 25, 6-9pm

Open Mic at the Museum

Come for the creativity, stay for the camaraderie.

Our monthly Open Mic, hosted by Kenny 'Doc' Frasier, is all about good vibes and real connection.



This is a laid-back, live show where anyone can show up and share a few minutes on the mic. Try out new material, build your confidence, or just soak in the energy—it’s all fair game. There are cookies, and new lighting! All ages, all abilities are welcome. $5.

from the Hartford Courant October 14.2026: Exclusive community in CT seeks to take over historic lighthouse. What to know about the plan. You have ten days to weigh in with the GSA.

The New London Maritime Society applied but was not selected to receive Lynde Point Lighthouse. Never-the-less we had an excellent plan for lighthouse access and education, and have a strong track record for historic preservation. We believe that US citizens built and maintained the lighthouses -- in this case since 1803 -- and they should retain access to the lights.

from an update on October 16: The plan calls for the United States General Services Administration to transfer the ownership and stewardship of the Lynde Point Light from federal ownership to the Borough of Fenwick, [Old Saybrook]. The lighthouse is at the busy mouth of the [Connecticut] river, near where is empties into Long Island Sound...If the plan were to go through, the borough would be responsible for “preservation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and increased access,” records show.

A terrific find, above: a pencil drawing of Fort Trumbull ca. 1850, now in the NLMS collection.

This Week at the Custom House

This week we have a lot to celebrate:

Work has started on the Custom House roof!

And we've got some new treasures.

In addition to our Fort Trumbull find, above, Robert and Sheila Manke, right, returned to the museum on Thursday with an additional two gifts: a piece of the whaling schooner Charles Colgate, and a fantastic letter from 1839.

Photo, above from top: Robert and Sheila Manke.

middle: A piece of the whaling schooner Charles Colgate, collected by Alma Wies and given to Robert Manke's mother. Alma and her husband Dr. Carl Wies rowed out into Shaw's Cove to collect samples, which she distributed to local historians.

bottom: Gelatin print photograph; port view of whaling schooner CHARLES COLGATE lying at Lawrence & Co. Wharf, New London, CT. (Built -Patchogue, Long Island, N.Y., 1830). Mystic Seaport collection.

Photos, left, top: the address side of an 1839 letter from the New London Customs Inspector to the Inspector in New York; middle: The letter to the New York Inspector confirming receipt of a set of brass weights.

bottom: those same weights are still in the New London Maritime Society collection.

• The 1799 Verification Act: Congress passed an act ordering that weights and measures used at custom houses be regularly inspected and verified.

• The 1832 Hassler Study: After massive discrepancies were found between different port cities, Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler conducted a comparative study of custom house standards. This led the Treasury Department to formally adopt specific uniform units (such as the 36-inch yard and the 7,000-grain avoirdupois pound) for all customs operations.

• Distribution to States (1836): Congress ordered complete sets of these newly standardized customs weights and measures to be manufactured and distributed to every state governor, establishing the baseline for domestic commerce.

Photo, left: Patrick and Will from Walter Electric were back working on the front lighting. Above, John Johnson came in to learn about artist/fishermsn Ellery Thompson. At the Custom House he met a former National Park Service employee and Smithsonian archivist from Washington, DC, here to see our Amistad exhibition.

According to Groton historian Jim Streeter: the story of Ernie the Ledge Light ghost is just not true (see, above). Never-the-less, the lighthouse is now Connecticut's #1 haunted place, and figures prominently on the state's new Haunted Trail Map.

--Susan

Saturdays, Sundays, & by appointment year-round -- a popular destination for more than two centuries.



Visit Inside NL Harbor

Pequot Lighthouse

Visit Long Island Sound's oldest and tallest lighthouse. Photo: Joe Gareis.

Take a tour inside Harbor Light to see the 4th order Fresnel lens in use at the light since 1857. Climb 116 steps into the lantern room and enjoy stunning views across Long Island Sound.

Tours accommodate up to five people and last 40 minutes. Sign up today. To book a custom tour,send us an email. Through December, New London & Groton residents may purchase $5 tickets, thanks to the grant from Veolia/New London Water Authority!

NOW in the SHOP: 20% off SALE through November 1.

NLMS members receive a 30% discount!

From ship to shore for shopping. Photo, above: a cruise ship visitor purchased a NL lighthouse keeper's cap in the gift shop.

We've got something for everyone. Photos, below, clockwise from upper left: a seaweed press and sun print kits, cat & dog birthday candles, local author and history books, a shaped shark puzzle.

Japanese anemones alongside the Custom House.