Hyannis Rear Range Light

Hyannis Rear Range Light

1863 replacement lantern
Location Hyannis, Massachusetts
Coordinates 41°38′10.6″N 70°17′18.6″W / 41.636278°N 70.288500°WCoordinates: 41°38′10.6″N 70°17′18.6″W / 41.636278°N 70.288500°W
Year first constructed 1849
Deactivated 1929
Foundation Natural/emplaced
Construction Brick
Tower shape Conical
Markings / pattern White with black lantern
Original lens Oil lamp with reflector (1849)
5th order Fresnel lens(1856)
ARLHS number

USA-397 [1]

[2]
The rear light with its original 1849 birdcage lantern.
The front range light.

The Hyannis Rear Range Light, also known as the Hyannis Harbor Light,[1] was a lighthouse and, for part of its life, one of a pair of range lights adjacent to Hyannis Harbor. The tower was built in 1849 and equipped with a 5th order Fresnel lens in 1856. In 1863 the original birdcage lantern was replaced with a new cast iron one. In 1885, a front light was added on the Old Colony Railroad Wharf, leading vessels to the wharf.

Over time, as the channel into the adjacent Lewis Bay was dredged deeper, there was a shift of traffic into Lewis Bay and Hyannis inner harbor, and the wharf fell into disuse. The lights were discontinued in 1929 and the front range light has disappeared along with the wharf, although the outline of the wharf can still be seen in aerial photographs.

The lantern was removed from the rear light before it was sold. In 1987 a new, much larger lantern room was added to the top of the tower, acting as a sunroom.

Keepers

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Massachusetts". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. 2009-08-08.
  2. Rowlett, Russ (2009-10-09). "Lighthouses of the United States: Southeast Massachusetts". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.