Scituate Light
About this property
Old Scituate Light also known simply as Scituate Light is a historic lighthouse located on Cedar Point in Scituate, Massachusetts. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as Scituate Light. In May, 1810, the US government appropriated $4,000 for a lighthouse to be built at the entrance of Scituate Harbor. The lighthouse was completed two months ahead of schedule, on September 19, 1811, making it the 11th lighthouse in the United States. In September, 1814, during the War of 1812, Rebecca and Abagail Bates ("The Lighthouse Army of Two") warded off an attack by British soldiers by playing their fife and drum loudly. The British retreated since they thought the sound came from the Scituate town militia. In 1850, the lighthouse was removed from service due to the construction of the Minot's Ledge Light. It was put back into service in 1852, after a storm destroyed the first Minot's Ledge Light, and it received a new Fresnel lens in 1855. In 1860, the light was once again removed from service after the second tower at Minot's Ledge was built. Over the next 60 years, the lighthouse fell into disrepair. In 1916, the lighthouse was put up for sale, and in 1917, it was purchased by the town of Scituate for $4,000. In 1930, a new replica lantern was added. In 1962, the lighthouse was in a state of disrepair. The Scituate Historical Society appropriated $6,500 for repairs. The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. In 1991, the lighthouse was relit with the light visible only from land; the light was made visible from sea as a private aid to navigation in 1994. In October 2022 the lantern room was removed from the top of the tower as part of a $2M renovation of the lighthouse. The lantern room will be completely reconstructed along with other renovations to the interior of the tower. Occasional tours are available from the Scituate Historical Society. The keeper's house is a private residence. The current keeper is Bob Gallagher, a history teacher at Marshfield High School in Marshfield, Massachusetts. National Register of Historic Places listings in Plymouth County, Massachusetts D'Entremont, Jeremy (2014). "History of Scituate Light, Massachusetts". New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide. "The word from Old Scituate Light (Keepers Blog)".
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Scituate Light listed on the National Register?
Scituate Light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 1987.
What type of historic resource is Scituate Light?
Scituate Light is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Scituate Light?
The period of significance for Scituate Light is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Scituate Light?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Scituate Light will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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