Old Scituate Light
Encyclopedia
Old Scituate Light also known simply as Scituate Light is an historic lighthouse
located on Cedar Point in Scituate, Massachusetts
.
Occasional tours are available from the Scituate Historical Society. The keeper's house is a private residence. The current keeper is Bob Gallagher, a History teacher at Marshfield High School in Marshfield, Massachusetts.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987 as Scituate Light.
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....
located on Cedar Point in Scituate, Massachusetts
Scituate, Massachusetts
Scituate is a seacoast town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 18,133 at the 2010 census....
.
- 1810, May: The Federal Government appropriated $4,000 for a lighthouse to be built at the entrance of Scituate Harbor.
- 1811, September 19: The lighthouse was completed two months ahead of schedule making it the 11th lighthouse in the United States.
- 1814, September, the War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
: Rebecca and Abagail Bates "The Lighthouse Army of Two" warded off an attack by British soldiers by playing their fife and drum loudly. The British retreated since they thought the sound came from the Scituate Town Militia. - 1827: The height of the lighthouse was raised 15 feet and a new lantern room was added to improve the visibility of this lighthouse.
- 1850: Due to the construction of the Minot's Ledge LightMinot's Ledge LightMinot's Ledge Light, officially Minots Ledge Light, is a lighthouse on Minot's Ledge, one mile offshore of the towns of Cohasset and Scituate, Massachusetts, to the southeast of Boston Harbor The current lighthouse is the second on the site, the first having been washed away in a storm after only...
the lighthouse was removed from service. - 1852: The lighthouse was put back into service after a storm destroyed the first Minot's Ledge Light.
- 1855: The light received a new Fresnel lens.
- 1860: The light was once again removed from service after the second tower at Minot's Ledge was built, and over the next 60 years the lighthouse fell into disrepair.
- 1916: The lighthouse was put up for sale.
- 1917: The town of Scituate bought the lighthouse for $4,000.
- 1930: A new replica lantern was added
- 1960's: The lighthouse was still in a state of disrepair. The Scituate Historical Society appropriated $6,500 for repairs.
- 1988: The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1991, July: The lighthouse was relit with the light visible only from land.
- 1994: The light was made visible from sea as a private aid to navigation
Occasional tours are available from the Scituate Historical Society. The keeper's house is a private residence. The current keeper is Bob Gallagher, a History teacher at Marshfield High School in Marshfield, Massachusetts.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1987 as Scituate Light.
See also
- http://www.lighthouse.cc/scituate/history.html
- http://www.scituatehistoricalsociety.org/
- Blog of the current lighthouse keeper