Great Point Lighthouse
Fl WR 5s🇺🇸Southeastern Massachusetts, USOperational
Location & Light Range
About Great Point Lighthouse
Constructed in 1769, this lighthouse stands on the northernmost point of Nantucket Island. The original wooden structure was replaced by a stone tower erected in 1817, which served until it was toppled in a March 1984 storm. A stone tower replicating the earlier design was rebuilt in 1986 and remains operational. Modern enhancements include solar panels for battery charging and a reinforced foundation to combat erosion. The tower measures 21 meters in height with its focal plane at the same elevation.
Why it matters: This lighthouse is situated on a narrow beach where the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound currents converge.
Background
Great Point Light, officially Nantucket Light, is a lighthouse located on the northernmost point of Nantucket Island. First built in 1784, the original wooden tower was destroyed by fire in 1816. The following year a stone tower was erected which stood until toppled in a storm in March 1984. Rebuilt again in 1986, the stone tower was built to replicate the old one, and still remains in operation today. Modern additions include solar panels to recharge the light's batteries, and a sheet pile foundation and 5-foot (1.5 m) thick concrete mat to help withstand erosion.
The lighthouse sits on a thin spit of beach where the currents of the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound meet.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as Nantucket Light and removed after the destruction of the listed structure in 1986.Light & Optic
Characteristic Signature
Fl WR 5s
- Flash Type
- Flashing
- Light Color
- WR
- Flash Count
- 1 flash
- Interval
- 5s
- Focal Height
- 21m
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1769
- Heritage Status
- National Register of Historic Places listed place
References & Identifiers
- Wikipedia
- Read on Wikipedia →
- Wikidata
- Q5599792 →
- OpenStreetMap
- View on OSM →
Tower & Structure
- Tower Height
- 21m
Location
- City
- Southeastern Massachusetts
- Country
- 🇺🇸US
- Latitude
- 41.3900°
- Longitude
- -70.0482°
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