Fairhaven Bridge Light was a

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

on the bridge from

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

to Fairhaven, Massachusetts, at the north end of New Bedford Harbor. From 1888 to 1891 it served as the rear light of a

range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

to guide ships past Butler Flats on the west side of the harbor entrance. The front light of the range was

Palmer Island Light Palmer Island Light Station is a historic lighthouse in New Bedford Harbor in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA. The lighthouse was built in 1849 out of stone rubble. It was discontinued when the harbor's hurricane barrier was built in the early 196 ...

. It was also known as "Fairhaven Bridge Range Light". This light was discontinued in 1891; the range was obviated by the construction of the

Butler Flats Light Butler Flats Light is a sparkplug lighthouse located in the outer harbor of New Bedford, Massachusetts, at the mouth of the Acushnet River. Built in 1898 by the United States Lighthouse Board, it is the only known caisson lighthouse designed by ...

adjacent to the channel in 1898 The structure and the wooden bridge shown under it in the photo no longer exist.

References

Lighthouses completed in 1888 Buildings and structures in New Bedford, Massachusetts Lighthouses in Bristol County, Massachusetts {{BristolCountyMA-NRHP-stub