Barnstable Harbor was an important port for fishing and trade in the early 1800's. The first Sandy Neck (or Beach Point) Lighthouse was constructed in 1827 - a lantern on the roof of the keepers house. The first keeper was Joseph Nickerson. In 1857, the old lighthouse was replaced by a brick tower (painted white). A new keeper's house was built in 1880. In 1887, it was reported by the Lighthouse Board (Clark, p. 81): "The brick tower, being badly cracked, was strengthened with two iron hoops and six staves." These repairs are still visible today.

By 1931, the importance of Barnstable harbor had diminished, and sand had built up at the tip of Sandy Neck, making the lighthouse's position less important. The lighthouse was decommissioned, and a skeleton tower with a beacon placed 200 feet closer to the tip of Sandy Neck. the tower was discontinued in 1952, the lantern room removed, and the site sold to private ownership. Today, Sandy Neck is a wildlife refuge.

In Summer 2006, plans were approved to restore the tower lantern room. The goal was to restore the lantern room for the tower's 150th anniversary in 2007. The original lantern room specifications are an exact match to the recently restored lantern room in St. Helena, Michigan. The Michigan group lent molds for castings to the Sandy Neck Lighthouse Restoration Committee. In 2007, the lantern room was completed - Sandy Neck was no longer a headless tower.

References (see links)

Lighthouses of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket - Their History and Lore, Clark pp. 78-82
The Lighthouses of New England, Snow pp. 243-245
Massachusetts Lighthouses - A Pictorial Guide, Thompson p. 56
Lighthouses and Life Saving Stations Along the Massachusetts Coast, Claflin p. 57
The Keeper's Log Summer 2006
Lighthouse Digest October 2007