List of lighthouses in Massachusetts

This is a list of all lighthouses in the U.S. state of Massachusetts as identified by the United States Coast Guard. Enumeration of the lighthouses in this state is complicated by the number of multiple tower stations and replacement of older towers, with the Brant Point Light station having had nine towers, two of which survive.[1] At present there are forty-seven active towers, of which eleven are privately maintained; thirteen are standing but inactive, seven have been replaced with skeleton towers, thirteen have been destroyed or removed, and one tower has been moved to another state. The oldest station, Boston Light, established in 1716, was the first lighthouse built in the colonies, and the current tower at that station, built in 1783, is the oldest survivor in the state and the second oldest in the nation, and was the last lighthouse automated in the United States.[2] The last station established was at the Buzzards Bay Entrance Light in 1961 (since replaced by an automated light on a steel tripod), but in 1986 the 1818 Great Point Light was rebuilt and relit, making it the last tower constructed in the state. The tallest towers in the state are the two Cape Ann Light towers, but the highest focal plane is at the Hospital Point Range Rear Light, which is located in the steeple of the First Baptist Church of Beverly.[2]

A number of inactivated Massachusetts lights have met with unusual fates. The Three Sisters of Nauset were sold off to separate private buyers before being purchased by the National Park Service and moved back near their original site. Range lights in Nantucket and Hyannis were incorporated into private dwellings, the former housing the Gilbreth family of Cheaper by the Dozen fame. The Point Gammon Light was converted into an observation tower for birdwatching.

If not otherwise noted, focal height and coordinates are taken from the United States Coast Guard Light List,[3] while location and dates of activation, automation, and deactivation are taken from the United States Coast Guard Historical information site for lighthouses.[4]

Name Image Location Coordinates Year first lit Automated Year deactivated Current Lens Focal Height
Annisquam Harbor Light Gloucester
(Cape Ann)		 42.6619°N 70.6815°W / 42.6619; -70.6815 (Annisquam Harbor Light) 1801 (Former)
1898 (Current)		 1974 Active 190mm 045 45 ft (14 m)
Bakers Island Light Salem 42.5364°N 70.7859°W / 42.5364; -70.7859 (Bakers Island Light) 1791 (Former)
1821 (Current)		 1972 Active 190mm 111 111 ft (34 m)
Billingsgate Island Light Wellfleet
(Billingsgate Island)		 41.871°N 70.068°W / 41.871; -70.068 (Billingsgate Island Light)[5] 1858 Never 1915
(Destroyed)		 None 040 40 ft (12 m)
Bird Island Light Marion
(Buzzards Bay)		 41.6694°N 70.7174°W / 41.6694; -70.7174 (Bird Island Light) 1819 1997
(Relit)		 Active
(Inactive: 1933-1997)		 Unknown 047 47 ft (14 m)[6]
Bishop and Clerks Light Hyannis 41.5743°N 70.2501°W / 41.5743; -70.2501 (Bishop and Clerks Light) 1858 1923 1928
(Demolished in 1952)		 None 059 59 ft (18 m)[4]
Borden Flats Light Fall River
(Taunton River)		 41.7044°N 71.1744°W / 41.7044; -71.1744 (Borden Flats Light) 1875 (Former)
1881 (Current)		 1963 Active 250mm 047 47 ft (14 m)
Boston Light Boston
(Little Brewster Island)		 42.3280°N 70.8901°W / 42.3280; -70.8901 (Boston Light) 1716 (Former)
1783 (Current)		 1998 Active Second-order Fresnel 102 102 ft (31 m)
Brant Point Light Nantucket 41.2898°N 70.0924°W / 41.2898; -70.0924 (Old Brant Point Light)[7]
(Old Tower)
41.2900°N 70.0903°W / 41.2900; -70.0903 (Brant Point Light)
(New Tower)		 1856
(Old)
1901
(Current)		 1965 1900
(Old)
Active
(Current)		 Fifth-order Fresnel 046 46 ft (14 m)[8]
(Old)
26 ft (7.9 m)
(Current)
Broad Sound Channel Inner Range Lights Boston
(Spectacle Island)		 42.3278°N 70.9842°W / 42.3278; -70.9842 (Broad Sound Channel Inner Range Front Light)[9]
(Front Light)
42.3275°N 70.9853°W / 42.3275; -70.9853 (Broad Sound Channel Inner Range Rear Light)[9]
(Rear Light)		 1903[10] Never 1950[10]
(Removed)		 None 053 53 ft (16 m)[10]
(Front)
70 ft (21 m)[10]
(Rear)
Butler Flats Light New Bedford
(Acushnet River)		 41.603°N 70.894°W / 41.603; -70.894 (Butler Flats Light) 1898 1978 Active Fifth-order Fresnel 025 25 ft (7.6 m)
Buzzards Bay Entrance Light Buzzards Bay 41.3970°N 71.0347°W / 41.3970; -71.0347 (Buzzards Bay Entrance Light) 1961 (Former)
1997 (Current)		 1980 Active Unknown 101 101 ft (31 m)[11]
Cape Ann Light Station
(aka: Thacher Island Lights)		 Rockport
(Thacher Island)		 42.6368°N 70.5749°W / 42.6368; -70.5749 (Cape Ann Light (south)) 1861 1979
(South Tower)
1989
(North Tower)		 Active
(North Tower was Inactive
from 1932 to 1989)		 VRB-25 166 166 ft (51 m)
Cape Poge Light Edgartown
(Chappaquiddick Island)		 41.4194°N 70.4523°W / 41.4194; -70.4523 (Cape Poge Light) 1801 (Former)
1893 (Current)		 1943 Active 300mm 065 65 ft (20 m)
Chatham Light Chatham 41.6713°N 69.9502°W / 41.6713; -69.9502 (Chatham Light) 1808 (Former)
1877 (Current)		 1982 Active DCB-224 080 80 ft (24 m)
Clarks Point Light New Bedford 41.5932°N 70.9014°W / 41.5932; -70.9014 (Clarks Point Light) 1797 (Former)
1869 (Current)		 2001
(Relit)		 Active
(Inactive: 1898-2001)		 250mm 068 68 ft (21 m)[4]
Cleveland East Ledge Light Falmouth 41.6310°N 70.6942°W / 41.6310; -70.6942 (Cleveland East Ledge Light) 1943 1978 Active 190mm 074 74 ft (23 m)
Cuttyhunk Light Gosnold
(Cuttyhunk Island)		 41.414°N 70.950°W / 41.414; -70.950 (Cuttyhunk Light) 1823
(The last L.H.
was built in 1891)		 1947
(skeleton tower)		 2005
(skeleton tower)		 None Unknown
Deer Island Light Boston
(Deer Island)		 42.3399°N 70.9545°W / 42.3399; -70.9545 (Deer Island Light) 1890 1960 1982
(Destroyed in 1984)		 None 053 53 ft (16 m)[12]
Derby Wharf Light Salem 42.5165°N 70.8835°W / 42.5165; -70.8835 (Derby Wharf Light) 1871 1917[13] Active
(Inactive: 1977-1983)		 Optic 025 25 ft (7.6 m)
Dumpling Rocks Light Buzzards Bay 41.538°N 70.921°W / 41.538; -70.921 (Dumpling Rocks Light) 1829
(The last L.H.
was built in 1889)		 Never 1938
(Destroyed)		 None Unknown
Duxbury Pier Light Duxbury
(Plymouth Harbor)		 41.9874°N 70.6485°W / 41.9874; -70.6485 (Duxbury Pier Light) 1871 1961 Active Fourth-order Fresnel 035 35 ft (11 m)
East Chop Light Oak Bluffs 41.4703°N 70.5675°W / 41.4703; -70.5675 (East Chop Light) 1869 (Former)
1878 (Current)		 1933 Active 300mm 079 79 ft (24 m)
Eastern Point Light Gloucester
(Cape Ann)		 42.5802°N 70.6644°W / 42.5802; -70.6644 (Eastern Point Light) 1833 (Former)
1890 (Current)		 1985 Active DCB-24 057 57 ft (17 m)
Edgartown Harbor Light Edgartown 41.3909°N 70.5031°W / 41.3909; -70.5031 (Edgartown Harbor Light) 1828 (Former)
1939 (Current)		 1939 Active 250mm 045 45 ft (14 m)
Egg Rock Light Egg Rock
(Near Nahant)		 42.433°N 70.898°W / 42.433; -70.898 (Egg Rock Light)[14] 1856
(The last L.H.
was built in 1898)		 1918[15] 1922
(Destroyed in 1927)		 None 090 90 ft (27 m)[14]
Fairhaven Bridge Light Fairhaven 41.6392°N 70.9175°W / 41.6392; -70.9175 (Fairhaven Bridge Light) 1888 Never 1891
(Razed)		 None Unknown
Falmouth Inner Light Falmouth 41.5421°N 70.6083°W / 41.5421; -70.6083 (Falmouth Inner Light) Unknown Unknown Active
(skeleton tower)		 Unknown 025 25 ft (7.6 m)
Fort Pickering Light Salem
(Winter Island)		 42.5264°N 70.8664°W / 42.5264; -70.8664 (Fort Pickering Light) 1871 1983 Active
(Inactive: 1969-1983)		 Unknown 028 28 ft (8.5 m)
Gay Head Light Aquinnah 41.3484°N 70.8350°W / 41.3484; -70.8350 (Gay Head Light) 1799 (Former)
1856 (Current)		 1956 Active DCB-224 170 170 ft (52 m)
Great Point Light Nantucket 41.3902°N 70.0483°W / 41.3902; -70.0483 (Great Point Light) 1769 (Former)
1986 (Current)		 1950s Active
(Inactive: 1984-1986)		 VRB-25 071 71 ft (22 m)
Highland Light Truro
(North Truro)		 41.3909°N 70.5031°W / 41.3909; -70.5031 (Highland Light) 1797[16](Former)
1857[16](Current)		 1987[16] Active LED 170 170 ft (52 m)
Hospital Point Range Front Light Beverly 42.5465°N 70.8560°W / 42.5465; -70.8560 (Hospital Point Range Front Light) 1872 1947 Active Optic 070 70 ft (21 m)
Hospital Point Range Rear Light Beverly 42.5483°N 70.8785°W / 42.5483; -70.8785 (Hospital Point Range Rear Light) 1927 Unknown Active Unknown 183 183 ft (56 m)
Hyannis Front Range Light Hyannis 41.634°N 70.289°W / 41.634; -70.289 (Hyannis Rear Range Light) 1885 Never 1929 None 020 20 ft (6.1 m)[17]
Hyannis Rear Range Light Hyannis 41.636°N 70.2885°W / 41.636; -70.2885 (Hyannis Rear Range Light)[18] 1849 Never 1929 None 043 43 ft (13 m)[17]
Ipswich Front Range Light Ipswich 42.686°N 70.765°W / 42.686; -70.765 (Ipswich Range Front Light)[19] 1838 Never 1932 None 025 25 ft (7.6 m)[19]
Ipswich Rear Range Light Ipswich 42.6853°N 70.7662°W / 42.6853; -70.7662 (Ipswich Range Rear Light) 1838 (Former)
1939 (Current)		 1939 Active
(skeleton tower)		 Unknown 042 42 ft (13 m)[19]
Long Island Head Light Boston
(Long Island)		 42.3302°N 70.9577°W / 42.3302; -70.9577 (Long Island Head Light) 1819[20](Former)
1901[20](Current)		 1929[20] Active
(Inactive: 1982-1985)[20]		 Acrylic 120 120 ft (37 m)
Long Point Light Provincetown
(Long Point)		 42.0331°N 70.1687°W / 42.0331; -70.1687 (Long Point Light) 1827 (Former)
1875 (Current)		 1952 Active Optic 036 36 ft (11 m)
Lovells Island Range Lights Boston
(Lovells Island)		 42.3328°N 70.9303°W / 42.3328; -70.9303 (Lovells Island Range Front Light)[4]
(Front Light)
42.3319°N 70.9311°W / 42.3319; -70.9311 (Lovells Island Range Rear Light)[4]
(Rear Light)		 1903 Never 1939 None 031 31 ft (9.4 m)[21]
(Front Light)
40 ft (12 m)[21]
(Rear Light)
Marblehead Light Marblehead 42.5054°N 70.8337°W / 42.5054; -70.8337 (Marblehead Light)[22] 1835 (Former)
1895 (Current)		 1960 Active 300mm 130 130 ft (40 m)[22]
Mayo Beach Light N/A Wellfleet
(Mayo Beach)		 41.9307°N 70.0343°W / 41.9307; -70.0343 (Mayo Beach Light)[23] 1837
(The last L.H.
was built in 1881)		 Never 1922
(Tower moved)		 None Unknown
Minot's Ledge Light Cohasset 42.0331°N 70.1687°W / 42.0331; -70.1687 (Minot's Ledge Light) 1850 (Former)
1860 (Current)		 1947 Active
(Inactive: 1851-1860)		 300mm 085 85 ft (26 m)
Monomoy Point Light Chatham
(Monomoy Island)		 41.559°N 69.994°W / 41.559; -69.994 (Monomoy Point Light)[24] 1823 (Former)
1849 (Current)		 Never 1923 None 047 47 ft (14 m)[24]
Nantucket Beacon Nantucket 41.273°N 70.073°W / 41.273; -70.073 ([Nantucket Beacon)[8] 1794
(Coast Guard clam)
or
1820
(Congressional claim)		 Never Unknown None 024 24 ft (7.3 m)[8]
Nantucket Cliff Range Lights Nantucket 41.294°N 70.107°W / 41.294; -70.107 ([Nantucket Cliff Range Lights)[25] 1838[25](Former)
1889[25] (Current)		 Never 1912
(Now a private house)		 None Unknown
Nantucket Harbor Range Lights Nantucket
(Brant Point)		 41.2898°N 70.0923°W / 41.2898; -70.0923 (Nantucket Harbor Range Front Light)
(Front Light)
41.2893°N 70.0919°W / 41.2893; -70.0919 (Nantucket Harbor Range Rear Light)
(Rear Light)		 1908 Unknown Active Unknown 035 35 ft (11 m)
(Front Light)
51 ft (16 m)
(Rear Light)
Nauset Beach Light Eastham
(Nauset Beach)		 41.860°N 69.953°W / 41.860; -69.953 (Nauset Beach Light) 1838 (Former)
1877 (Current)		 1955 Active DB-224 120 120 ft (37 m)
Ned Point Light Mattapoisett 41.6509°N 70.7956°W / 41.6509; -70.7956 (Ned Point Light) 1838 1923 Active
(Inactive: 1951-1963)		 250mm 041 41 ft (12 m)
Newburyport Harbor Light Newburyport 42.8152°N 70.8189°W / 42.8152; -70.8189 (Newburyport Harbor Light) 1788 (Former)
1898 (Current)		 1951 Active Fourth-order Fresnel 050 50 ft (15 m)
Newburyport Harbor Front Range Light Newburyport 42.8115°N 70.8648°W / 42.8115; -70.8648 (Newburyport Harbor Front Range Light)[26] 1873 1952 1961 None 037 37 ft (11 m)[27]
Newburyport Harbor Rear Range Light Newburyport 42.8116°N 70.8662°W / 42.8116; -70.8662 (Newburyport Harbor Rear Range Light)[28] 1873 Unknown 1961 None 058 58 ft (18 m)[27]
Nobska Light Woods Hole 41.5158°N 70.6551°W / 41.5158; -70.6551 (Nobska Light) 1829 (Former)
1876 (Current)		 1985 Active Fourth-order Fresnel 087 87 ft (27 m)
Old Scituate Light Scituate
(Scituate Harbor)		 42.2048°N 70.7158°W / 42.2048; -70.7158 (Scituate Light) 1811 1994
(Relit)		 Active
(Inactive: 1860-1994)		 Replica lantern 070 70 ft (21 m)[29]
Palmer Island Light New Bedford 41.6270°N 70.9091°W / 41.6270; -70.9091 (Palmer Island Light) 1849 1941 Active
(Inactive: 1962-1998[30])		 Fifth-order Fresnel 034 34 ft (10 m)[30]
Plymouth Light Plymouth 42.0037°N 70.6006°W / 42.0037; -70.6006 (Plymouth Light) 1768 (Former)
1843 (Current)		 1986 Active 100mm 102 102 ft (31 m)
Point Gammon Light Hyannis 41.6097°N 70.2662°W / 41.6097; -70.2662 (Point Gammon Light)[31] 1816[32] 1858[32] 1858
(Converted to
observation tower[32])		 None 070 70 ft (21 m)[32]
Race Point Light Provincetown 42.0623°N 70.2430°W / 42.0623; -70.2430 (Race Point Light) 1816 (Former)
1876 (Current)		 1972 Active VRB-25 041 41 ft (12 m)
Sandy Neck Light Barnstable 41.723°N 70.281°W / 41.723; -70.281 (Sandy Neck Light) 1826 (Former)
1857 (Current)		 2007
(Relit)		 Active
(Inactive: 1931-2007)[33]		 Unknown Unknown
Sankaty Head Light Nantucket
(Siasconset)		 41.2844°N 69.9661°W / 41.2844; -69.9661 (Sankaty Head Light) 1850 1965 Active Second-order Fresnel 158 158 ft (48 m)
Spectacle Island Range Lights Boston
(Spectacle Island)		 42.3281°N 70.9853°W / 42.3281; -70.9853 (Spectacle Island Range Front Light)[9]
(Front Light)
42.3275°N 70.9844°W / 42.3275; -70.9844 (Spectacle Island Range Rear Light)[9]
(Rear Light)		 1897 Never 1913 None 029 29 ft (8.8 m)[9]
(Front Light)
54 ft (16 m)[9]
(Rear Light)
Stage Harbor Light Chatham 41.6587°N 69.9837°W / 41.6587; -69.9837 (Stage Harbor Light)[34] 1880 Never 1933
(Now a private house)		 None Unknown
Straitsmouth Island Light Rockport 42.6623°N 70.5881°W / 42.6623; -70.5881 (Straitsmouth Island Light) 1835 (Former)
1896 (Current)		 1967 Active 250mm 046 46 ft (14 m)
Tarpaulin Cove Light Gosnold
(Naushon Island)		 41.4688°N 70.7575°W / 41.4688; -70.7575 (Tarpaulin Cove Light) 1818 (Former)
1891 (Current)		 1941 Active 300mm 078 78 ft (24 m)
Ten Pound Island Light Gloucester 42.6019°N 70.6656°W / 42.6019; -70.6656 (Ten Pound Island Light) 1821 (Former)
1881 (Current)		 1934 Active
(Inactive: 1956-1989)		 250mm 057 57 ft (17 m)
The Graves Light Boston
(The Graves)		 42.3649°N 70.8691°W / 42.3649; -70.8691 (The Graves Light) 1905 1976 Active VRB-25 098 98 ft (30 m)
Three Sisters of Nauset Eastham 41.859°N 69.9571°W / 41.859; -69.9571 (The Three Sisters of Nauset)[35] 1838 (Former)
1892 (Current)		 Never 1923 None Unknown
West Chop Light Tisbury 41.4808°N 70.5998°W / 41.4808; -70.5998 (West Chop Light) 1817 (Former)
1891 (Current)		 1976 Active Unknown 084 84 ft (26 m)
West Dennis Light West Dennis 41.652°N 70.170°W / 41.652; -70.170 (West Dennis Light) 1855 1989
(Relit)		 Active
(Inactive: 1914-1989)		 300mm 044 44 ft (13 m)
Wing's Neck Light Pocasset 41.6802°N 70.6612°W / 41.6802; -70.6612 (Wing's Neck Light) 1849 Unknown 1945 None Unknown
Wood End Light Provincetown
(Long Point)		 42.0213°N 70.1935°W / 42.0213; -70.1935 (Wood End Light) 1864 (Former)
1872 (Current)		 1960 Active VRB-25 045 45 ft (14 m)

References
  1. "Brant Point, MA". Lighthouse Friends.
  2. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Northern Massachusetts". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2012.
  4. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Massachusetts". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  5. "Billingsgate Island Light". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  6. "Bird Island Light". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  7. "Brant Point (old), MA". Lighthouse Friends.
  8. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the Finances. Washington, DC: William A. Harris. December 6, 1858. pp. 446–447. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  9. List of Lights and Fog Signals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. 1900. p. 38.
  10. "Broad Sound Channel Inner Range Lights: History". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  11. Marthas Vineyard to Block Island (Map). 1:80,000. NOAA. 1980. Chart 13218.
  12. Boston Harbor (Map). 1:25,000. NOAA. 1969. Chart 13270.
  13. "Derby Wharf Light: History". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  14. "Egg Rock Light". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  15. "Egg Rock Light: History". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  16. "Cape Cod (Highland), MA". Lighthouse Friends.
  17. "Hyannis Harbor Light: History". Jeremy d'Entremont.
  18. "Hyannis Harbor Light". Jeremy d'Entremont.
  19. Ipswich Bay to Gloucester, Massachusetts (Map). 1:20,000. Department of Commerce. 1930. Chart 243.
  20. "Long Island Head Light: History". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  21. Boston Harbor (Map). 1:20,000. US Dept. of Commerce. 1928. Chart 246.
  22. "Section VIII: Light List Corrections" (PDF). Local Notice to Mariners, District 1. United States Coast Guard: 22. 2012 week 3. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. "Mayo's Beach, MA". Lighthouse Friends. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13.
  24. "Monomoy Point Light". Jeremy E'Entremont.
  25. "Nantucket Cliff Range, MA". Lighthouse Friends.
  26. "Newburyport Harbor Range Front, MA". Lighthouse Friends.
  27. Newburyport Harbor and Plum Island Sound (Map). 1:20,000. US Dept. of Commerce. 1958. Chart 213.
  28. "Newburyport Harbor Range Rear, MA". Lighthouse Friends.
  29. "Scituate Light". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  30. "Palmer's Island Light". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  31. "Point Gammon, MA". Lighthouse Friends. Archived from the original on 2012-10-04.
  32. "Point Gammon Light". Jeremy D'Entremont.
  33. "Sandy Neck, MA". Lighthouse Friends.
  34. "Stage harbor, MA". Lighthouse Friends.
  35. "Three Sisters, MA". Lighthouse Friends.
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