 In 1882 Great Island was purchased by Charles B. Cory, the ornithologist, for use as a game preserve and bird sanctuary.He restored the tower and added a structure on top for bird-watching, replacing the long absent lantern; the keeper's house was used to house his butterfly collection.Cory lost his fortune in a stock market crash, and in 1914 he sold the land to Malcolm G. Chace, a banker from Rhode Island; the property containing the old light has remained in the family since.