Hyannis Rear Range Light
Encyclopedia
The Hyannis Rear Range Light was a lighthouse
and, for part of its life, one of a pair of range lights at Hyannis Harbor, Massachusetts
. The tower was built in 1849 and equipped with a 5th order Fresnel lens
in 1856. In 1863 the original birdcage lantern was replaced with a new cast iron one. In 1885, a front light was added on the Old Colony Railroad Wharf, leading vessels to the wharf.
Over time, as the channel into the adjacent Lewis Bay was dredged deeper, there was a shift of traffic into Lewis Bay and Hyannis inner harbor, and the wharf fell into disuse. The lights were discontinued in 1929 and the front range light has disappeared along with the wharf, although the outline of the wharf can still be seen in aerial photographs.
The lantern was removed from the rear light before it was sold. In 1987 a new, much larger lantern room was added to the top of the tower, acting as a sunroom.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
and, for part of its life, one of a pair of range lights at Hyannis Harbor, Massachusetts
Hyannis, Massachusetts
Hyannis is the largest of seven villages in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Also it is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as a result of the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer to Hyannis as the "Capital of the Cape"...
. The tower was built in 1849 and equipped with a 5th order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
in 1856. In 1863 the original birdcage lantern was replaced with a new cast iron one. In 1885, a front light was added on the Old Colony Railroad Wharf, leading vessels to the wharf.
Over time, as the channel into the adjacent Lewis Bay was dredged deeper, there was a shift of traffic into Lewis Bay and Hyannis inner harbor, and the wharf fell into disuse. The lights were discontinued in 1929 and the front range light has disappeared along with the wharf, although the outline of the wharf can still be seen in aerial photographs.
The lantern was removed from the rear light before it was sold. In 1987 a new, much larger lantern room was added to the top of the tower, acting as a sunroom.
Keepers
- Daniel Snow Hallett (1849–1851)
- James Bearse (1851–1853)
- Almoran Hallett (1853–1861)
- Franklin Baker (1861–1869)
- John Lothrop (1869–1878)
- Alonzo Lothrop (1878–1899)
- John Peak (1899–1915)
- Waldo Leighton (1915–1929)