Last updated: April 5, 2024
Place
Nauset Light
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
120 Nauset Light Beach Road, Eastham, MA
Significance:
First lighthouse in Eastham
Designation:
National Register of Historic Places
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
4 listed
Benches/Seating, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Scenic View/Photo Spot
The present Nauset Lighthouse, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is made of cast iron with a brick lining and stands 48 feet high. It was built in 1877, and was located in Chatham as a twin to the one that is there today. In 1923, the smaller wooden lighthouse in Eastham was retired, and the north tower in Chatham was dismantled, moved to Eastham, and reconstructed about 200 feet from the edge of the cliff near the relocated keeper's house. In the 1940s, Nauset Lighthouse was painted red and white as a daytime indicator. In 1981, the light's Fresnel lens was replaced by two two rotating aero beacons. The signal was changed from three white flashes to one red and one white flash of 5 second intervals between them.
Coastal erosion continued and by 1996 it was dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. Less than 35 feet remained in November 1996 when Nauset Lighthouse was moved in one piece approximately 300 feet to a new site across the road. For the previous 73 years, the lighthouse had provided guidance to mariners traveling along the treacherous coastline of Cape Cod. In its new location, Nauset Lighthouse should be safe for another 30 years.