East Chop Lighthouse

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About The Site

East Chop sketch

The approach to Vineyard Sound Harbor is bounded by land on either side - East Chop and West Chop. A lighthouse had long marked the west side, but there was no such navigational aid to the east. A ship captain, Silas Daggett, built a private aid to navigation on Telegraph Hill in 1869, with the support of local merchants. The red light burned in 1871, and was rebuilt atop Daggett's home.

The US government saw the value of the lighthouse and purchased the site for $5000 in 1878. The government built a new cast-iron 40-foot tower. The tower was painted white, and housed a fixed fourth-order Fresnel lens. A new keeper's residence was also constructed. An oil house was added in 1897, and the light changed to flashing red in 1898. The light acquired the nickname "The chocolate lighthouse" after it was painted brown in the 1880's. It remained this color until 1988.

In 1934, the light was changed to flashing green and automated. The residence was offered to keeper George Purdy for $100 a month rent. When Purdy declined the offer, the residence and oil house were torn down. A modern optic was installed in 1984. The Vineyard Environmental Research Institute took responsibility for tower maintenance in 1985. In 1994 the license was transferred to what is now the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society, which offers tours of the tower. The light remains an active aid to navigation.

References (see links)

Lighthouses of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket - Their History and Lore, Clark pp. 189-191
The Lighthouses of New England, Snow p. 294
The Lighthouses of Massachusetts, D'Entremont pp. 87-89
Massachusetts Lighthouses - A Pictorial Guide, Thompson pp. 92-93
Lighthouses and Life Saving Stations Along the Massachusetts Coast, Claflin p. 115
New England Lighthouses, Roberts and Jones pp. 76-77
Lighthouses of Massachusetts, Roberts and Jones p. 77
The Lighthouse Companion - Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, Rezendes p. 45

Select an image to enlarge

East Chop

At Sunset

Path to Tower

Telegraph Hill Park

In the Sun

Tower and Sign

Close Up

Telegraph Hill

At Sunset

Directions: From the Vineyard Haven ferry terminal, turn south to Beach Road, which will cross over toward Oak Bluffs. Follow Beach Road northeast, and turn right onto Eastville Avenue. Turn left onto Temahigan Avenue, then left onto East Chop (Highland) Road. Follow the road approximately 2/3 of a mile to the lighthouse. From Oak Bluffs, take Oak Bluffs Avenue to East Chop (Highland) Road. Turn right and follow the road approximately one mile to the light. The lighthouse grounds are a park, which is open to the public.

The Martha's Vineyard Museum, which is managed by the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society, is located on 59 School Street in Edgartown (at the corner of School and Cooke). The Museum houses the lens from Gay Head. The society manages the lights at Edgartown, East Chop, and Gay Head.

The Martha's Vineyard Historical Society offers tours of the lighthouse Sunday evenings between mid-June to mid-September from 1.5 hours before sunset to 0.5 hours after sunset. For more information, visit their website (see links). (December 2007)