Old Scituate Light also known simply as Scituate 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 lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

located on Cedar Point in

Scituate, Massachusetts Scituate () is a seacoast town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 19,063 at the 2020 census. History The Wampanoag and their neighbors have inhabited ...

. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1987 as Scituate Light.

History

In May, 1810, the US government appropriated $4,000 for a lighthouse to be built at the entrance of Scituate Harbor. The lighthouse was completed two months ahead of schedule, on September 19, 1811, making it the 11th lighthouse in the United States. In September, 1814, during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, Rebecca and Abagail Bates ("The Lighthouse Army of Two") warded off an attack by British soldiers by playing their

fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

and drum loudly. The British retreated since they thought the sound came from the Scituate town militia. In 1850, the lighthouse was removed from service due to the construction of the

Minot's Ledge Light Minot's Ledge Light, officially Minots Ledge Light, is a lighthouse on Minots Ledge, one mile offshore of the towns of Cohasset and Scituate, Massachusetts, to the southeast of Boston Harbor. It is a part of the Town of Cohassett, in Plymouth C ...

. It was put back into service in 1852, after a storm destroyed the first Minot's Ledge Light, and it received a new

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

in 1855. In 1860, the light was once again removed from service after the second tower at Minot's Ledge was built. Over the next 60 years, the lighthouse fell into disrepair. In 1916, the lighthouse was put up for sale, and in 1917, it was purchased by the town of Scituate for $4,000. In 1930, a new replica lantern was added. In 1962, the lighthouse was in a state of disrepair. The Scituate Historical Society appropriated $6,500 for repairs. The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. In 1991, the lighthouse was relit with the light visible only from land; the light was made visible from sea as a private aid to navigation in 1994. Occasional tours are available from the Scituate Historical Society. The keeper's house is a private residence. The current keeper is Bob Gallagher, a history teacher at Marshfield High School in

Marshfield, Massachusetts Marshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on Massachusetts's South Shore. The population was 25,825 at the 2020 census. It includes the census-designated places (CDPs) of Marshfield, Marshfield Hills, Ocean Bluf ...

References

External links

* * * {{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1811 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Lighthouses in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Scituate, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Plymouth County, Massachusetts

History

See also

References

External links