Location | Wigwam Pt., Gloucester, Massachusetts |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°39′42.781″N70°40′53.44″W / 42.66188361°N 70.6815111°W |
Tower | |
Constructed | 1801 |
Foundation | Stone |
Construction | Brick |
Automated | 1974 |
Height | 45-feet |
Shape | Cylindrical |
Markings | White with black lantern |
Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
Fog signal | 19th century: Bell 1931: Horn, 2 every 60s |
Light | |
First lit | 1898 |
Focal height | 45 feet (14 m) |
Lens | 5th order Fresnel lens (original), 7.5 inches (190 mm) (current) |
Range | W 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi), R 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi) |
Characteristic | Fl W 7.5s with Red sector |
Annisquam Harbor Light Station | |
Area | 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) |
Built | 1801 |
MPS | Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR |
NRHP reference No. | 87001526 [1] |
Added to NRHP | June 15, 1987 |
Annisquam Harbor Light Station is a historic lighthouse located on Wigwam Point in the Annisquam neighborhood of Gloucester, Massachusetts. [2] [3] [4] It can be viewed from nearby Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester. It lies on the Annisquam River [5] and is one of the four oldest lighthouses to surrounding the Gloucester peninsula, along with Eastern Point Light, Ten Pound Island Light, and Thacher Island Light. [6]
The first light station, a 40-foot (12 m) wooden tower, was established in 1801 after Congress allocated $2000 in April for its completion. [7] The original building was 32 feet (9.8 m) tall, made of wood with a light resting 40 feet above the water. The building fell into disrepair and, in 1851, was replaced by an octagonal wooden tower of the same height. The original lighthouse keeper's house was repaired and, with alterations, has remained to this day; its floor plan resembles those at Race Point Light and Straitsmouth Island Light. It is a two-story, gabled roofed, wood-framed building. [8] In 1869, a covered walkway was built between the house and the tower.
In 1897, the current brick lighthouse was built on the same foundation as the previous two constructions. Some time after 1900, the covered walkway, added in 1867, [9] to the keeper's house was replaced by an uncovered wooden footbridge.
In 1931, a foghorn was installed, but until 1949, it was used only from October 15 to May 15 to spare summer residents the noise., [10] but was activated in the summer of 1949 only during day hours. [9] The lighthouse's fourth-order Fresnel lens and foghorn [6] were automated in 1974, and became occupied by the Coast Guard. [11] The fog signal was initially removed by the Coast Guard, but after complaints from fishermen and local boaters, it was reactivated and eventually automated as well. In August 2000 Matty Nally and his crew completed the replacement of 3,000 bricks in efforts of restoration. [11]
The interior of the lighthouse is equipped with a circular cast-iron staircase that leads to the top. [8] The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and is one of the oldest lighthouses in Massachusetts. [8]
The original wooden keeper's house from 1801 is still used as a housing for United States Coast Guard personnel who manage the site. In 2000, a major restoration of the tower was conducted by the Coast Guard. [4] In 2008, the building appeared, supposedly as a lighthouse in Maine, in the film remake The Women (starring Meg Ryan).
Portland Head Light is a historic lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The light station sits on a headland at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in 1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. The light station is automated, and the tower, beacon, and foghorn are maintained by the United States Coast Guard, while the former lighthouse keeper's house is a maritime museum within Fort Williams Park.
Matinicus Rock Light is a lighthouse on Matinicus Rock, a windswept rock 25 miles (40 km) off the coast of Maine. It is one of eleven seacoast lights off the coast of Maine. First established in 1827, the present surviving structures date to 1857. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Matinicus Rock Light Station on March 14, 1988.
Goat Island Light is a lighthouse located off Cape Porpoise near Kennebunkport in southern Maine. Goat Island Light was established in 1835 to guard the entrance to Cape Porpoise Harbor. The original station was upgraded in 1859 to the current brick tower with a fifth order Fresnel lens. Keeper's quarters were added to the island in 1860. The light station was automated by the United States Coast Guard in 1990 and is currently active. The keepers dwellings and tower are leased to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. Goat Island Light can be seen from shore in Cape Porpoise Harbor just off State Route 9 north of Kennebunkport or is viewable by boat. The island is currently closed to the public except by special arrangement.
Boston Light is a lighthouse located on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The first lighthouse to be built on the site dates back to 1716, and was the first lighthouse to be built in what is now the United States. The current lighthouse dates from 1783. It is the second oldest working lighthouse in the United States and is the only lighthouse to still be actively staffed by the United States Coast Guard despite its automation in 1998. The structure was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
Brant Point Light is a lighthouse located on Nantucket Island. The station was established in 1746, automated in 1965, and is still in operation. The current tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 28, 1987; it has the distinction of being the tenth light on the point, in addition to several range lights. Four of the others burned or blew down, two were condemned, two were unsatisfactory, and the remaining one stands unused.
Edgartown Harbor Light is a lighthouse located in Edgartown, Massachusetts, United States, where it marks the entrance to Edgartown Harbor and Katama Bay. It is one of five lighthouses on the island of Martha's Vineyard. The first lighthouse, a two-story wooden structure that also served as the keeper's house, was constructed in 1828. It was demolished, and replaced by the current cast-iron tower, in 1939. Originally located on an artificial island 1/4 miles from shore, the lighthouse is now surrounded by a beach formed, since 1939, by sand accumulating around the stone causeway connecting it to the mainland.
Eastern Point Light is a historic lighthouse on Cape Ann, in northeastern Massachusetts. It is known as the oldest seaport in America. The harbor has supported fishermen, whalers, and traders since 1616.
The Ten Pound Island Light is a historic lighthouse in Gloucester Harbor in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It is located on Ten Pound Island, near the eastern end of the harbor. The tower, built in 1881, is a conical cast iron structure 30 feet (9.1 m) tall, replacing a stone tower first built on the site in 1821. The main body is painted white, and the top is painted black.
Marshall Point Light Station is a lighthouse at the entrance of Port Clyde Harbor in Port Clyde, Maine. The light station was established in 1832.
The Burnt Island Light, built in 1821, is the second oldest surviving lighthouse in Maine. It hosts a living history museum run by the state Department of Marine Resources. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Burnt Island Light Station on November 23, 1977.
The Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station is a lighthouse on Swan's Island, Maine. It is located on Hockamock Head, at the entrance to Burnt Coat Harbor and at the end of Harbor Road. Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station is also sometimes referred to as the Swan’s Island Lighthouse. Hockamock Head is a peninsula extending south from the center of the island, dividing the island's main harbor from Toothacker Bay. The light marks the entrance to Burnt Coat Harbor. It was built in 1872, and is a well-preserved 19th-century light station. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Curtis Island Light, originally Negro Island Light, is a lighthouse marking the approach to the harbor of Camden, Maine. It is located on Curtis Island, which shelters the harbor from ocean storms. It was first established in 1835, and the present structure was built in 1896. The light was automated in 1972, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Grindel Point Light is a lighthouse in Islesboro, Maine, marking the west entrance to Gilkey Harbor at the westernmost point of the eponymous island. The light station was established in 1850, and the present tower and keeper's house were built in 1874. The station was deactivated in 1934 and reactivated in 1987. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The keeper's house now houses the Grindel Point Sailor's Museum and the lighthouse tower is open for tours in the summer.
Hendricks Head Light is a lighthouse in Southport, Maine marking the west side of the mouth of the Sheepscot River. The light station was established in 1829, and its present structures date to 1875. It was deactivated in 1933, but relit in 1951. The two-story wood keeper's house is now a private summer residence. The light is on continuously, showing white to the west and red to the east. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Hendricks Head Light Station on November 20, 1987.
Heron Neck Light is a lighthouse on Green's Island in Vinalhaven, Maine at the south end of Penobscot Bay. It was established in 1854 as an aid to navigation for Vinalhaven's main port, and for the Hurricane Channel extending northwest from Heron's Neck. The light was automated in 1984. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Heron Neck Light Station on January 21, 1988.
Prospect Harbor Point Light is a lighthouse on Prospect Harbor Point, which divides Sand Cove from Inner Harbor at the head of Prospect Harbor on the southern shore of Gouldsboro, Maine. Also known as Prospect Harbor Light, it was first established in 1850. The present structure was built in 1891. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Prospect Harbor Light Station in 1988.
Ram Island Light is a lighthouse located just offshore of Ram Island, marking the eastern entrance to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and the west side of the mouth of the Damariscotta River. It was built in 1883 and automated in 1965. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Ram Island Light Station on January 21, 1988.
Winter Harbor Light is a lighthouse in Winter Harbor, Maine. It is located on Mark Island, a small island between the Schoodic Peninsula and Turtle Island, near the entry to the town's main harbor. The light was built in 1856 and was deactivated in 1933; it is no longer an aid to navigation, and is privately owned. The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Winter Harbor Light Station on February 1, 1988.
Baker Island Light is a lighthouse on Baker Island, Maine, which is part of Acadia National Park. The light station was established in 1828 as a guide to the southern entrance to Frenchman Bay. The present tower was built in 1855; the well-preserved tower, keeper's house, and associated outbuildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Port Washington Light is a historical lighthouse in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Replaced by the Port Washington Breakwater Light and converted to a normal dwelling, it was restored with the assistance of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and currently serves as a museum.