Butler Flats Light is a

sparkplug lighthouse A caisson lighthouse (also referred to as a sparkplug lighthouse, or bug light) is a type of lighthouse whose superstructure rests on a concrete or metal caisson. Caisson lighthouses were developed in the late nineteenth century as a cheaper alter ...

located in the outer harbor of

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. At the 2020 census, New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-l ...

, at the mouth of the

Acushnet River The Acushnet River is the largest river, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 flowing into Buzzards Bay in southeastern Massachusetts, in the United St ...

. Built in 1898 by the

United States Lighthouse Board The United States Lighthouse Board was the second agency of the U.S. federal government, under the Department of Treasury, responsible for the construction and maintenance of all lighthouses and navigation aids in the United States, between 18 ...

, it is the only known caisson lighthouse designed by a marine architect. The light was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as Butler Flats Light Station on June 15, 1987. Automated in 1978, it is now operated by the city as a private

aid to navigation In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. The ...

Description and history

The Butler Flats Light is located outer reaches of New Bedford Harbor which is off the eastern shore of Clark's Point, the southernmost peninsula of the city. The light was placed to assist navigation into the inner harbor, located further north on the western bank of the

. It is a caisson tank light with a total height of , and is set on a concrete foundation set on the muddy bottom of the harbor. Atop the caisson is a circular brick structure, with a wide fog deck encircling it at the lowest level. The fog deck is slightly wider than the caisson, which is flared outward just below the deck to minimize the effects of wave action. An open deck circles the structure at the top of the brick section, where it transitions to the smaller iron lantern house, and a narrow third deck encircles the lantern chamber. The interior was historically divided into living and dining quarters (housing seven crew members), and office and storage space. Access to the structure is via a ladder that descends from the fog deck. The light was built in 1898 to a design by F. Abraham Smith, and also included a fog signal. The light was rendered functionally obsolete after completion of the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier about further north, which included a small dike light. The light was fully automated by the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

in 1978, and the fog signal was moved to the barrier. After campaigning by local preservationists, the light was turned over to the city, which now operates it as a private

. The lighthouse is not open to the public, but is easily visible from the shore along East Rodney French Boulevard in New Bedford as well as other points along the city's waterfront.

References

{{Authority control Lighthouses completed in 1898 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in New Bedford, Massachusetts Lighthouses in Bristol County, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in New Bedford, Massachusetts

Description and history

See also

References