Nauset Lighthouse

Home/
Massachusetts/
Northern Cape Cod/
Nauset

Home
Regions
Site Index
Links
About The Site

Nauset sketch

The current beacon at Eastham (originally built in 1887) was moved from Chatham in 1923 to replace the Three Sisters. The upper portion of the beacon was painted red in 1940, to distinguish it from Highland and Chatham lights.

A fourth-order Fresnel lens from the last of the Three Sisters was installed in the tower. The light was automated in 1955, and red and white aerobeacons replaced the Fresnel lens (now on display at the Salt Pond visitor's center in Eastham). Like Highland Light, Nauset Light was in danger of being lost to erosion. In 1993, the Coast Guard proposed decommisioning the light.

The light was saved, however, by the Nauset Light Preservation Society, which financed a project to move the light further inland. By November 1996, the light stood adjacent to the keeper's house, just 25 feet from the edge of the cliff overlooking Nauset Beach. The light was moved away from the cliff to its present location shortly afterwards. It now serves as a private aid to navigation.

In October/November of 1998, the keeper's house was also moved. The house was relocated to the same orientation relative to the lighthouse as the old site. As of April 1998 the keeper's house had stood a mere 27 feet from the eroding cliff. The house was donated to the National Park Service, and the donor given a 25-year lease. The house remains a private residence.

The light received additional attention in 2005 - the tower was sandblasted, resealed and repainted. Rusted handrails were replaced. As of 2006, future plans call for restoration of the nearby oil house.

Note: Three of the photos below were taken in June 1998, after the tower had been moved, but before the keeper's house was moved. On the right-most photo, the eroding cliff is just off to the right of the image.

References (see links)

Lighthouses of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket - Their History and Lore, Clark p. 87
The Lighthouses of New England, Snow pp. 266-267, 272
Massachusetts Lighthouses - A Pictorial Guide, Thompson pp. 70-71
New England Lighthouses, Roberts and Jones p. 70
Lighthouse of Massachusetts, Roberts and Jones pp. 56-57
Lighthouse Digest, January-February 2006

Select an image to enlarge

Lantern Room

Down the Stairs

The Original Fresnel Lens

Merry Xmas

From the Steps to the Beach

Keeper's House

Tower Close-Up

The Tower at Xmas

From the Road

The Aerobeacons

Spiral Staircase

Late Afternoon

June 1998 - Before the Keeper's House Move

June 1998 - Before the Keeper's House Move - the Tower Alone

June 1998 - Before the Keeper's House Move - cliff is off to the right

Tower and Fence

The Tower in the Sun

Tower in Shadow

Tower at Sunset

Beach at Sunset

Across the Road

Directions: Take Route 6 to Bracket Road (third traffic signal from Eastham/Orleans rotary). Turn right onto Bracket Road. Go to end and take left onto Nauset Road. Take first right onto Cable Road. At end of Cable Road, take left onto Ocean View Drive. (The above directions are from the Nauset Light Preservation Society website). You can also take Nauset Road directly from Route 6, and follow it to Cable Road. There is a parking lot adjacent to the lighthouse, and a walkway down the cliff to Nauset Beach. There is a parking fee before 4:30PM in the summer, and the lot may be full during the day in the summer due to the beach access. The Three Sisters are a short walk from Nauset Light. As of 2006, the light is open every Sunday (July through October), as well as additional days in May and June, and Wednesdays in July and August. The grounds are open year-round. For current information on the light and the visiting schedule, contact the Nauset Light Preservation Society (see links).

The Fresnel lens is located at the Cape Cod National Seashore's Salt Pond Visitor's Center, just off Route 6 in Eastham. For more information, visit the National Park Service Website (see links).

Note: The keeper's house is a private residence. (January 2007)