The Newport Historical Society, alongside the U.S. Lighthouse Society and U.S. Coast Guard, will honor Ida Lewis — the legendary lighthouse keeper once called “the bravest woman in America” — during a public graveside ceremony on Saturday, May 24 at 1 p.m. at the Common Burying Ground on Farewell Street.
Lewis, who served as keeper of the Lime Rock Light Station in Newport Harbor for over 50 years, is credited with saving at least 18 lives, though some say the real number was far higher. Among her most celebrated rescues was in 1869, when she rowed through a snowstorm to save drowning soldiers near Fort Adams.
Her heroism drew national acclaim. She was honored in Newport on July 4, 1869, before a crowd of more than 4,000 and later received the prestigious Gold Lifesaving Medal — the first woman ever to do so. Even President Ulysses S. Grant came to meet her that same year.
Artifacts from her life, including her iconic rowboat Rescue, are preserved by The Newport Historical Society and the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, located at her former Lime Rock home. In 1924, the Rhode Island General Assembly renamed the island Ida Lewis Rock and the light station became the Ida Lewis Lighthouse.
Saturday’s commemoration will feature the placement of a U.S. Lighthouse Service grave marker by the crew of the USCGC Ida Lewis, a 175-foot Coast Guard buoy tender named in her honor. The ceremony will include remarks from historian Jeremy D’Entremont, author Lenore Skomal, and Coast Guard officers.
“Ida’s story is one of incredible bravery and legacy,” said NHS Executive Director Rebecca Bertrand. “We invite the Newport community to help us celebrate her extraordinary life.”
Free parking is available at the Gateway Center or the cemetery.
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