Race Point Light is a historic

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...

, in

Provincetown Provincetown () is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States census, Pr ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

; it is on 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 ...

. The original tower, first illuminated in 1816, was replaced in 1876 with the current 45-foot tall iron-plated tower and a new keeper's dwelling. The

American Lighthouse Foundation The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1994 with a primary mission of lighthouse preservation. ALF's main office and storefront are headquartered in Rockland, Maine, and the organization currently ...

operates the property and rents out two buildings for overnight stays. The actual light is maintained by the Coast Guard. The site is reached by walking about 45 minutes over sand; with a National Park Service Oversand Permit, a four-wheel-drive vehicle can be used.

History

Race Point Light was first established in 1816, the third light on Cape Cod (after

Highland Light The Highland Light (previously known as Cape Cod Light) is an active lighthouse on the Cape Cod National Seashore in North Truro, Massachusetts. The current tower was erected in 1857, replacing two earlier towers that had been built in 1797 and ...

(1797) and

Chatham Light Chatham Lighthouse, known as Twin Lights prior to 1923, is a lighthouse in Chatham, Massachusetts, near the "elbow" of Cape Cod. The original station, close to the shore, was built in 1808 with two wooden towers, which were both replaced in 1841. ...

(1808). The original light was a rubblestone tower that featured one of the earliest rotating beacons, which distinguished it from others on Cape Cod. In 1858 the light got a fourth order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens (optics), lens which reduces the amount of material required compared to a conventional lens by dividing the lens into a set of concentric annular sections. The simpler Dioptrics, d ...

and, in 1874, a second keeper's quarters. Race Point Lighthouse 1876 MA

In 1876, after significant deterioration of the original tower, it was replaced with a 45-foot tall cast iron tower lined with brick. The Fresnel lens was installed into the new tower. The original keeper's stone house was removed and replaced with one made of wood. Race Point Light was electrified in 1957. The larger keeper's house was removed in 1960 and the other was updated. The light was automated in 1972. In 1995 the group updated the keeper's house and began offering rooms for overnight stays in 1998. A solar electrical system was installed in October 2003, and a wind turbine back-up generator was added in 2007. The light now uses a solar-powered VRB-25 optic with 400,000 candlepower, operated by the Coast Guard. Operation of the site is by the

. Tours are available on the first and third Saturdays from June until October. Both the Keeper's House and the Whistle House are available for overnight rental. Race Point Light was added to the

as Race Point Light Station on June 15, 1987, reference number 87001482.

Light keepers

The following keepers maintained the light over the years, some for a surprisingly short time. Several had been assistant keepers for years prior to their promotion to head keeper. *Joshua Dyer (1816 – 1822) *Elijah Dyer (1822 – 1847) *Lemuel Cook (1847 – 1853) *Waterman Crocker (1853 – 1861) *Josiah Ghenn (1861 – 1870) *James Cushman (1870 – 1885) *Thomas V. Mullins (1885 – 1892) *Charles A. Havender (1892 – 1904) *Samuel S. Smith (1904 – 1909) *Roscoe G. Lopaus (1909) * Waldo Leighton (1909 – 1915) *William H. Lowther (1915 – 1935) *James W. Hinckley (1935 – 1937) *Javan D. York (1938 – 1942) *Theodore M. Koswoski (1944) *James O’Brien (1944) *Joseph L. Collette (1944) *Osborne E. Hallett (1945 – 1955) *Elias J. Martinez (1955 – 1956) *Gottfried Schiffers (1956 – 1958) *Elias J. Martinez (1958 – 1959) *Aubrey T. Griggs (1959 – 1960)

References

External links

Race Point Lighthouse
official website, with online reservations

, featured in Maritime History of Massachusetts — A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary {{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1816 Lighthouses completed in 1876 National Register of Historic Places in Cape Cod National Seashore Italianate architecture in Massachusetts Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Lighthouses in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Provincetown, Massachusetts 1816 establishments in Massachusetts

History

Light keepers

See also

References

External links