Ipswich Range Lights
Encyclopedia
The Ipswich Range Lights are a pair of range lights
on Crane Beach
in Ipswich, Massachusetts
. They have a long and varied story. They were first built as two brick towers, 542 feet (165m) apart on a more or less east-west line in 1838. The movement of the sands led to shifting of the towers and by 1881 the rear tower was badly cracked. It was replaced by a cast iron tower, while by 1867 the front light had been replaced by a movable wood structure that could be shifted as the channel shifted. The front light was discontinued in 1932 and the rear light was replaced in 1938 with a skeleton tower. It, or its replacement, is still in service today. The 1881 cast iron rear tower was loaded on a barge and shipped to Edgartown, Massachusetts
where it replaced the Edgartown Harbor Light
that had been destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938.
Leading lights
Leading lights are a pair of light beacons, used in navigation to indicate a safe passage for vessels entering a shallow or dangerous channel; and may also be used for position fixing. At night, the lights are a form of leading line that can be used for safe navigation...
on Crane Beach
Crane Beach
Crane Beach is a conservation and recreation property located in Ipswich, Massachusetts, immediately north of Cape Ann. It consists of a four mile long sandy beachfront, dunes, and a maritime pitch pine forest...
in Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
. They have a long and varied story. They were first built as two brick towers, 542 feet (165m) apart on a more or less east-west line in 1838. The movement of the sands led to shifting of the towers and by 1881 the rear tower was badly cracked. It was replaced by a cast iron tower, while by 1867 the front light had been replaced by a movable wood structure that could be shifted as the channel shifted. The front light was discontinued in 1932 and the rear light was replaced in 1938 with a skeleton tower. It, or its replacement, is still in service today. The 1881 cast iron rear tower was loaded on a barge and shipped to 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....
where it replaced the Edgartown Harbor Light
Edgartown Harbor Light
Edgartown Harbor Light is a lighthouse located in Edgartown, Massachusetts that marks the entrance into Edgartown Harbor and Katama Bay. The lighthouse was originally built in 1828, but it was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938...
that had been destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938.