Cape Poge Light
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| Cape Poge Light | |
|---|---|
 Cape Poge Lighthouse |
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| Location: | Marthas Vineyard/Chappaquiddick island |
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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| Year first constructed: | 1801 |
| Year first lit: | 1893 (current tower) |
| Automated: | 1943 |
| Foundation: | Stone |
| Construction: | Wood shingle |
| Tower shape: | Conical |
| Markings/Pattern: | white with black lantern |
| Height: | 65 feet (20 m) |
| Original lens: | Fourth order Fresnel lens |
| Range: | 9 nm |
| Characteristic: | Flashing white 6s |
Cape Poge Light sometimes called Cape Pogue Light is at the northeast tip of Chappaquiddick, an island near Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
At least four towers have been built at this location, 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, and in 1893 a new, 35-foot (11 m), white, wooden, conical tower was added, 40 feet (12 m) inland from the previous one. This 1893 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 1934. The light was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
The current light is a 300 mm solar powered beacon that flashes white every 6 seconds and is visible for 9 nautical miles (17 km). The light's focal plane is 65 feet (20 m) above mean high water. This light is currently active and is under the auspices of the United States Coast Guard, however the tower has been transferred and is now owned and operated by The Trustees of Reservations. The Trustees of Reservations provide tours during the summer season. The lighthouse can be reached via a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) hike from the Dike Bridge or by four-wheel drive vehicle.
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