Derby Wharf Light

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Derby Wharf Light
Derby Wharf Light.jpg
Derby Wharf Light
Location Salem, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°30′59.6″N70°53′0.9″W / 42.516556°N 70.883583°W / 42.516556; -70.883583
Tower
Constructed1871
ConstructionBrick
Automated1970s
Height4 m (13 ft)  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
ShapeSquare
MarkingsWhite Black
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Fog signal none
Light
First lit1871
Deactivated1977–1983
Focal height25 feet (7.6 m)
Lens5th order Fresnel lens 1871-1906
4th order 1906-1910
6th order 1910-1970s
Solar-powered optic (current)
Range4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi)
Characteristic Fl R 6sec
Derby Wharf Light Station
MPS Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR
NRHP reference No. 87001466 [1]
Added to NRHPJune 15, 1987

Derby Wharf Light Station is a historic lighthouse on Derby Wharf in Salem, Massachusetts that is within the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. [2] [3]

Contents

It was built in 1871 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. [3] [1] The United States Coast Guard Light List [2] description is "White square tower. Maintained by the U.S. Park Service". The actual light is 25 feet (7.6 m) above Mean High Water. Its red light is visible for 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi).

History

The Light Station was originally built in 1871 and used an oil lamp shining through a Fresnel lens. For many years, Derby Wharf Light had one of only 17 sixth-order Fresnel lenses in the United States. Today, the light is solar powered, and the light is a red flash every six seconds.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. 1 2 Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2010. p. 83.
  3. 1 2 "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Massachusetts". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017.