10

10 log in or sign up to start earning Butterfly Credits today!
learn more »
earn credits for web search

community & fun

groups

get together & make a difference

Groups > Lighthouses of the World > Discussions > Topic: Cape Cod Lighthouses Part Two
Topic: Cape Cod Lighthouses Part Two

powered by Care2.com • Care2 Home • E-cards & Fun • Shopping • Healthy Living • News Network • Petitions • Click to Donate


Fred H.	Cape Cod Lighthouses Part Two October 20, 2009 7:30 AM Chatham Light Chatham is the site of the second lighthouse of Cape Cod. After the completion of Highland Light, the next logical location was the southeastern tip of the Cape. To distinguish it from Highland, the Chatham station had twin lights. The original two towers were 40 feet tall, constructed of wood (the contractor being unable to find stone in the sandy region!), and set up as movable range lights. This meant that the lights would line up to mark a safe channel. A ship approaching the lights from a direction such that the lights were not aligned would be at risk of running aground on the shifting sandbars. Please stay tuned for the next installment..... [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 21, 2009 3:21 PM The original towers were replaced by 40-foot brick towers in 1841. In 1857 these lights received fixed fourth-order Fresnel lenses. Erosion would eventually claim the second twins. In 1870, the lighthouse keeper reported the lights to be 228 feet from the cliff. By 1876, this distance had shrunk to 95 feet, and to 48 feet by 1877. In 1879, the south tower slid over the cliff. The north tower was lost 15 months later. Fortunately, the optics of the twins had been moved to a new set of towers prior to their demise. These two new towers, built of iron plates lined with brick, were completed in 1881. 1923 marked the end of the Chatham twins, as the north tower was moved to Nauset to replace the remaining tower of the original "Three Sisters". The foundation of this light is still visible. The remaining south tower was given a rotating fourth-order lens and incandescent oil vapor lens, which increased candlepower to 30,000. [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 22, 2009 3:36 PM The Coast Guard took over the tower in 1939, and installed a 1000 watt electric lamp, further increasing the light to 800,000 candlepower. In 1969, the entire lantern room was rebuilt, and 2.8 million candlepower aerobeacons installed, which are visible for 25 miles. The original lantern room is on display on the grounds of the Chatham Historical Society Museum. In 1982, the light was automated. The lantern was updated to a more efficient aerobeacon in 1994. The keeper's house now serves as US Coast Guard Station Chatham. In 1987, a Nor'easter broke through the barrier beach offshore of the lighthouse. The break eventually grew to over a mile. The overlook and part of the parking lot were washed away in the "Perfect Storm" of October 31, 1991. The lot and overlook have since been restored, and the station is not in any immediate danger from erosion. [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 24, 2009 9:27 AM A monument near the foundation of the north tower stands to preserve the memory of Capt. Marshall N. Eldredge and six surfmen of the Monomoy Life- Saving Station, who died on March 17, 1902 trying to rescue survivors of the stranded schooner-barge Wadena. [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 25, 2009 11:00 AM Down the Steps [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 27, 2009 3:46 PM Lifesaving Monument [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 28, 2009 10:53 AM Open House [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 29, 2009 4:33 PM From the Beach [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 30, 2009 3:19 PM December in Chatham [ send green star]
Fred H.	October 31, 2009 9:49 AM The Original Lantern Room [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 01, 2009 10:19 AM North Tower Base from Tower [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 03, 2009 3:40 PM Lantern Room [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 05, 2009 4:03 PM Light from Monument [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 06, 2009 11:41 AM Old Tower Base [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 07, 2009 6:04 AM Spiral Steps [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 09, 2009 5:16 PM Aerobeacon [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 12, 2009 4:34 PM References (see links) Lighthouses of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket - Their History and Lore, Clark pp. 31-38 The Lighthouses of New England, Snow pp. 267-270, 273 Massachusetts Lighthouses - A Pictorial Guide, Thompson pp. 67-68 Lighthouses and Life Saving Stations Along the Massachusetts Coast, Claflin pp. 76-77 New England Lighthouses, Roberts and Jones pp. 69-70 Lighthouses of Massachusetts, Roberts and Jones pp. 58-59 The U.S. Life-Saving Service, Shanks and York p. 55 The Keepers' Log Spring 2005 [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 13, 2009 5:24 PM Directions: from State Route 28, bear southwest at the Chatham rotary to Main Street. At the end of Main street, turn right onto Shore Road. There is a parking lot in front of the lighthouse and keepers' house. The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard station, and not normally open to the public, but can be clearly viewed from the road. The Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-1 offers public tours of the lighthouse. As of 2007, the light is open for tours every Wednesday 1-3:30PM July and August, and the first and third Wednesday of May, June, September and October, from 1-3PM. The lighthouse is open on December 31st from 12PM-2PM. For current information, visit the USGS Coast Guard Station Chatham website (see links). Note that parking may be difficult on summer days, since the lot also serves the beach, and there is no street parking. One nearby local was offering paid parking and shuttle service to the beach and lighthouse - this is a very viable alternative to parking at the light itself. [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 14, 2009 6:31 PM The Chatham Historical Society Museum is located at 347 Stage Harbor Road - follow the sign for the Historical Society at the Chatham Rotary. For more information on the Chatham Historical Society, visit their website (see links). (January 2007) Monomoy Light Monomoy is another example of the shifting landscape of the Cape. It was at one time a peninsula extending south from Chatham. In 1800 it was an island. Within a few years, it was a peninsula again, and then an island again. The Blizzard of 1978 split Monomoy into two islands. As of November 2006, storms have relinked the islands with the mainland. [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 17, 2009 3:58 PM The lighthouse was built to help mariners navigate around Monomoy Point - nine miles south of Chatham. Difficulty in navigating the shoals of Monomoy convinced the pilgrims to settle in Massachusetts, rather than continue to Virginia. The original light was built in 1823. The original structure was a wooden tower atop a brick residence. The lighthouse keepers were not entirely isolated - a settlement known as Whitewash Village existed nearby on the island, and remained until the 1860's due to storms and a decline in fishing. The current tower was built in 1849. The light was fitted with a fourth-order Fresnel lens in 1857. Two lifesaving stations were built in 1872. The tower was painted red in 1882. [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 18, 2009 5:55 PM In 1902, Captain Marshall N. Eldredge and surfmen of the Life-Saving Service at Monomoy attempted to rescue the crew of the coal barge Wadena during a terrible storm off Monomoy Point. Despite the conditions, Eldredge said to his men "we must go, there is a distress flag in the rigging." During the rescue attempt, the surf boat also fell victim to the storm. Only surfman Seth L. Ellis survived. The is a memorial at Chatham Light to Captain Eldredge and the six surfmen who perished. With the completion of the Cape Cod Canal in 1914 and the increased power of Chatham Light in 1923, Monomoy Light was decommissioned, and the property sold to private ownership. The island served as a US navy bombing range during World War II. In 1964, the light was sold to the Massachusetts Audubon Society. In the 1970's the US Fish and Wildlife Service took ownership. The site was refurbished in 1964 and again in 1988. For a time, personnel of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History offered trips to the property. The trips are, sadly, no longer offered. The structure was partially re-roofed nd a new ventilation system installed in 2005. As of 2006, the islands and lighthouse are administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Funding is in place for a major renovation in 2010. [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 19, 2009 5:38 PM The above photo was taken by Chuck Young, who grew up on the island. His father and uncles had camps on the island - his uncle lost his camp during the 1978 blizzard. References (see links) Lighthouses of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket - Their History and Lore, Clark pp. 56-65 The Lighthouses of New England, Snow pp. 270-273 Massachusetts Lighthouses - A Pictorial Guide, Thompson pp. 62-63 Lighthouses and Life Saving Stations Along the Massachusetts Coast, Claflin pp. 78-79 The U.S. Life-Saving Service, Shanks and York p. 55 Lighthouse Digest December 2006 Thanks to Chuck Young, who provided the photo. [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 21, 2009 2:34 PM Directions: This lighthouse is best accessed by boat. The grounds are administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information, see the USFWS website (see links). On an exceptionally clear day, the lighthouse is very distantly visible from the top of Great Point in Nantucket. Monomoy Ferry offers trips to South Monomoy. For more information, visit their website (see links). (January 2007) http://www.rudyalicelighthouse.net/MassLgts/Monomoy/Monomoy.htm [ send green star]
Fred H.	November 22, 2009 10:33 AM Point Gammon Lighthouse Point Gammon Light on Great Island (now a peninsula) was established in 1816 to mark the east side of the entrance to Hyannis harbor and the rocks of Bishop and Clerks Ledge. The lighthouse and keeper's house were constructed of local fieldstone. The keeper's residence and tower were connected. The light displayed a fixed white light composed of eleven lanterns with fourteen-inch reflectors. The first keeper, Samuel Peak, was the grandson of John Gilbert Peak, signer of the New Hampshire Declaration of Independence. Samuel Peak served from 1816 to his death in 1824. He was succeeded by his son John, who served until 1858. [ send green star]
Fred H.	Monday, 5:38 PM Point Gammon was a relatively weak light in an area of heavy traffic. A lightship was stationed at the Bishop and Clerks Ledge. In 1858, the lighthouse was discontinued and replaced with Bishop and Clerks Light. John Peak was transferred to the new lighthouse. The property was sold into private ownership. The keeper's house was dismantled circa 1935, and the stones used to build a new structure on the island at Uncle Ben's Cove. The lighthouse was used as a summer home in the 1970's. Today Great Island is privately owned with no public access. [ send green star]
Fred H.	Tuesday, 5:41 PM From the Ferry [ send green star]
Fred H.	Wednesday, 5:29 PM Point Gammon and Bishop and Clerks [ send green star]
Fred H.	Thursday, 11:30 AM References (see links) Lighthouses of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket - Their History and Lore, Clark pp. 39-48 The Lighthouses of New England, Snow pp. 313-315, 323 Massachusetts Lighthouses - A Pictorial Guide, Thompson p. 61 Lighthouses and Life Saving Stations Along the Massachusetts Coast, Claflin p. 83 Thanks to the anonymous photographer who provided a close-up a snapshot of the light while working in the area. [ send green star]
Fred H.	Friday, 4:34 PM Directions: There is no direct access to the lighthouse. Great Island is private property with restricted access. The light is best viewed by boat. Hyannis-Nantucket ferries pass the light distantly. The light can be viewed from a greater distance from shore. From State Route 28 in Hyannis - bear south at the rotary which takes you to West Main Street. Turn south on Sea Street, and follow it to the end. Walk east on the beach, and then to the end of the breakwall to see the light. Thanks to the anonymous photographer who provided a snapshot of the light while working in the area. (NOTE: This person had a reason to be there. In general, the grounds are off-limits. Please respect the rights of the owners.) (January 2007) [ send green star]
Fred H.	Saturday, 9:33 AM Lewis Bay Light [ send green star]
Fred H.	Sunday, 3:22 PM Lewis Bay Light in Hyannis Harbor was privately built. It is a replica of Brant Point. The 26-foot tower houses a flashing green light. We mistook this lighthouse for South Hyannis Light early in our travels. [ send green star]