Outer Island was formed hundreds of thousands of years ago by glacial deposits of pink granite. As the glacier moved it picked up soil and loose stone, and it pried loose blocks of bedrock which were left behind after the glacier completely melted. These rocks are still easy to identify on Outer Island.

The Mattabesic Native Americans lived in Stony Creek and occupied the islands during the summer months when fishing was easy. They called the island Two Tree Island after two gigantic pine trees that towered above everything else on the land.

Addison Verrill, a Yale professor, bought the island in 1889 and summered there for 40 years before a fire burned his house down. All that was left was the house’s original fireplace and chimney and they were incorporated into a new house, still present on the island. Elizabeth Hird purchased the Island in 1964 with her husband Basil Rauch, a history educator at Yale.

In 1995, Elizabeth Hird donated the island to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services in honor of her deceased husband. She continued to live in the summer house until she died in October 2002 at the age of 87. She desired that Outer Island remain a wildlife refuge for marine education as well as a place for public appreciation of the island’s beauty. The island is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is a unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Connecticut State University (CCSU) Center for Education and Research (CEROI) uses the island for marine plant research.

In 2001, under the direction of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a group of volunteers formed the Friends of Outer Island (FOI). As a wildlife refuge, Outer Island is closed to public access except when USFW/CEROI staff or trained FOI volunteers are present to monitor access. Friends of Outer Island volunteers also work with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services staff on projects, such as island clean ups, building construction, improvements to the island trails, fund raising and protection of bird nesting areas.

Last modified: 3dec04 (fm)