Highland Lighthouse Cape Cod

In 1797 George Washington authorized a light station at this point on the Cape. A wooden lighthouse was built to warn ships about the dangerous coastline between Cape Ann and Nantucket. It was the first light on Cape Cod. In 1833 a brick lighthouse replaced the wooden one and in 1840 a new lantern and lighting apparatus was installed. In 1857 the lighthouse was declared dangerous and demolished. The current brick tower was then built. It had a first order Fresnel lens from Paris fitted to it.

In 1932 the lamp was upgraded to a 1000 watt beacon. The Fresnel lens system was replaced by a Carlisle & Finch DCB-224, with a second unit as backup. In 1998, a VRB-25 optical system was installed.

The present location of the lighthouse is not the original site. Erosion came within feet of the base so the complex was moved 140m further inland. It took 18 days to shift in 1996.

 

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Uploaded on May 19, 2011