Sankaty Head Light

The Sankaty Head Light is a lighthouse located on Nantucket island. It was built in 1850, was automated in 1965, and is still in operation. It is located at the easternmost point of the island, in the village of Siasconset. It was one of the first lighthouses in the United States to receive a Fresnel lens.

Sankaty Head Light

Sankaty Head Light
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Location	Siasconset, Massachusetts
Coordinates	41°17′03.78″N 69°57′58.45″W
Year first lit	1850
Automated	1965
Foundation	Brick
Construction	Brick / Granite
Tower shape	Cylindrical
Markings / pattern	White with red band midway and black lantern
Tower height	70 feet (21 m), 158 feet (48 m) from sea level
Focal height	48 metre
Original lens	Second order Fresnel lens
Range	24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi)
Characteristic	White, flashing every 7.5 sec
Heritage	place listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Sankaty Head Light
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Nantucket, Massachusetts
NRHP reference No.	87002028 [1]
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1987

History

The shoals off the eastern coast of Nantucket had a long history as a hazard to navigation. The United States government decided in the 1840s that a prominent lighthouse should be erected to alert mariners to that hazard. Congress appropriated $12,000 for its construction in 1848, with additional funds totaling $8,000 in following years. The light went into service in February 1850.[2] The tower is 60 feet (18 m) high; its lower portion is constructed of brick, and its upper part is granite. The light's turning mechanism was powered by a weight-driven brass clockwork,

A brick house was built next to the tower at the time of its construction to house the light keeper's family.[2] In 1887 this house was torn down and a new structure was built.[3] Renovations to the tower at the time included installation of a new lantern section, adding some 10 feet (3.0 m) to its height.

In 1933 the light was electrified, and the mechanical works to turn it were taken out of service.[3] Its original lens was removed in 1950, and is now at the Nantucket Whaling Museum.[4] The light was fully automated in 1965.[2]

Sankaty Light at its current location. The former location is where the benches are

In 1987, the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Sankaty Head Light. The 'Sconset Trust acquired the lighthouse in 2007, and had it moved away from the eroding bluff (approximately 400 feet (120 m)) in October of that year.[2]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Nantucket County, Massachusetts

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
2. "Sankaty Light History". New England Lighthouses. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
3. "NRHP nomination for Sankaty Head Light". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
4. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Massachusetts". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.

External links

• Sconset Trust website
• NPS - Historic light stations - Sankaty Head Light
• Moving of Sankaty Lighthouse Due To Erosion
• "Sankaty Light: 'I see Sankaty, the mariner’s friend!' The future of Nantucket's "blazing star", by Robert D. Felch. Originally published by the Nantucket Historical Association in the Historic Nantucket, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Summer 2007).
• Sankaty Light, 1849 from Nantucket Historical Association's Digital Exhibition: 'Sconset 02564