Plymouth Lighthouses Lighthouse
Location & Light Range
About Plymouth Lighthouses Lighthouse
The Plymouth Lighthouse, also known as Gurnet Light, is an octagonal pyramidal wood tower built in 1843. Standing 10 meters tall, it is painted white with a black lantern and red roof, and its focal height reaches 31 meters. The station was first lit in 1769, but the current tower replaced an earlier structure. Originally, it was one of two lights, but the north tower was demolished in 1924. To combat beach erosion, the lighthouse was relocated 43 meters north in December 1998. The light emits three white flashes every 30 seconds and has a geographic range of 15.5 nautical miles.
Why it matters: This lighthouse is the nation's oldest active wooden light tower. Its red sector warns mariners of dangerous rocks at the entrance to Plymouth Harbor.
Light & Optic
- Flash Type
- Flashing
- Light Color
- White
- Flash Count
- 3 flashes
- Interval
- 30s
- Raw Code
- Fl(3) W 30s
- Focal Height
- 31m
- Geographic Range
- 15.5NM
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1843
- First Lit
- 1769
- Heritage Status
- Available for transfer under National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA) in 2023
Significant events: Station established 1769, North tower demolished 1924, Relocated 140 ft north in December 1998, Project Bug Light leased lighthouse in 1999, Keeper's house closed in 2022 to protect endangered piping plovers, Available for transfer under NHLPA in 2023
References & Identifiers
- Nearest Port
- Plymouth (USA)(3.6 km)
- Admiralty No.
- J0366
- USCG No.
- 1-12545
- ARLHS No.
- USA-609
Tower & Structure
- Tower Height
- 10m
- Tower Shape
- octagonal pyramidal
- Tower Color
- white
- Material
- wood
Structure: A 10m octagonal pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, covered by cedar shingles. It is painted white, with a black lantern and red roof.
Location
- City
- Plymouth
- Country
- 🇺🇸United States
- Region
- Massachusetts
- Sea Region
- Located on a bluff at Gurnet Point, at the end of a long sand spit on the north side of Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts. It marks the entrance to Plymouth Harbor, which serves mostly recreational vessels, and its red sector covers dangerous rocks.
- Latitude
- 42.0037°
- Longitude
- -70.6005°
Nearby Vessels
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