Gay Head Light
Encyclopedia
Gay Head Light is an historic lighthouse
on Lighthouse Road in Aquinnah, Massachusetts
.
The first light, a 47 foot (14m) octagonal tower, was built in 1799. The lantern was lowered 14 feet (4m) in the early 19th century to get the light under the fog and again by 3 feet (1m) during a major rebuilding in 1838. By the 1850s the tower was in disrepair and close to the edge of the cliff, so the current tower was started in 1854 and lit in 1856. It was equipped with a first order Fresnel lens
standing about 12 feet (4m) tall and weighing several tons (tonnes). In 1952 the Fresnel lens was replaced by a Carlisle & Finch
DCB-224
aero beacon. The original lens is in a replica lantern at the Martha's Vineyard Museum in Edgartown, Massachusetts
.
The tower is open to the public at specified hours during the summer months. It was visited by President Barack Obama
and his family during their vacation on the island in August 2009. It appears briefly in the background of the movie Jaws
as Chief Brody is driving to the beach.
The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as Gay Head Light on June 15, 1987, reference number 87001464.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on Lighthouse Road in Aquinnah, Massachusetts
Aquinnah, Massachusetts
Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Prior to 1998 the town was officially known as Gay Head, which it is still called by most Islanders from the neighboring towns, but this name does not reflect as well the year-round population of a large American Indian...
.
The first light, a 47 foot (14m) octagonal tower, was built in 1799. The lantern was lowered 14 feet (4m) in the early 19th century to get the light under the fog and again by 3 feet (1m) during a major rebuilding in 1838. By the 1850s the tower was in disrepair and close to the edge of the cliff, so the current tower was started in 1854 and lit in 1856. It was equipped with a first order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
standing about 12 feet (4m) tall and weighing several tons (tonnes). In 1952 the Fresnel lens was replaced by a Carlisle & Finch
Carlisle & Finch
Carlisle & Finch is a producer of nautical equipment and searchlights, and the inventor of the electric toy train. It is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History :...
DCB-224
DCB-224
The model DCB-224 is a high-power spotlight designed and built by Carlisle & Finch. Originally intended for use use as an aero beacon, it was also widely used in marine lighthouses....
aero beacon. The original lens is in a replica lantern at the Martha's Vineyard Museum in Edgartown, Massachusetts
Edgartown, Massachusetts
Edgartown is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,779 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dukes County. Edgartown has the largest population and area in the entire Dukes County and Martha's Vineyard.- History :In 1642....
.
The tower is open to the public at specified hours during the summer months. It was visited by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and his family during their vacation on the island in August 2009. It appears briefly in the background of the movie Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
as Chief Brody is driving to the beach.
The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Gay Head Light on June 15, 1987, reference number 87001464.