Cape Poge Light

About

Cape Poge Light, sometimes called Cape Pogue Light, is at the northeast tip of Chappaquiddick Island that is part of Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. At least four towers have been built on Cape Poge, with many moves. In 1801 the first 35-foot (11 m) wooden Cape Poge Lighthouse was built for $2,000. During the War of 1812 the light was extinguished for a few months and its apparatus was hidden in the cellar of a Chappaquiddick house. This first lighthouse was moved in 1825 and again in 1838 due to an eroding bluff. In 1844 a new tower was built for $1,600 and in 1857 supplied with a fourth order Fresnel lens. However, in 1878 it was reported that the keeper's house would probably "fall into the sea within two years." A third lighthouse was therefore built in 1880. Finally, in 1893 the current, 35-foot (11 m), white conical wood tower was constructed, 40 feet (12 m) inland from the previous one. The current tower has been moved four times, in 1907, 1922, 1960, and in 1987 when it became the first lighthouse to be moved by helicopter). The light was automated in 1943. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The current light is a 12-inch (300 mm) solar powered beacon that flashes white every 6 seconds and is visible for 9 nautical miles (17 km, 10 mi). The light's focal plane is 65 feet (20 m) above mean high water. The light

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.