Sankaty Head Light
| Sankaty Head Light | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Place: | Siasconset , Massachusetts , United States | |
| Location: | Massachusetts , United States | |
| Geographical location: | 41 ° 17 '3.8 " N , 69 ° 57' 58.5" W | |
| Fire carrier height : | 70 ft (21.3 m ) | |
| Fire height : | 158 ft (48.2 m ) | |
|
||
| Identifier : | Fl.W.7.5s | |
| Scope knows: | 24 nm (44.4 km ) | |
| Construction time: | 1849-1850 | |
| Operating time: | since 1850 | |
| International ordinal number: | J 0406 | |
Sankaty Head Light is a historic lighthouse on Nantucket in the state of Massachusetts in the United States . It is located approximately 1.5 km north of Siasconset or 9 mi (14.5 km) from Great Point Light and is administered by the United States Coast Guard . The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as part of the Multiple Property Submission Lighthouses of Massachusetts MPS .
history
As early as the 1780s, two lighthouses, the Brant Point Light and the Great Point Light , were built on Nantucket at danger points, so that the whaling ships could safely enter and leave the ports. The east and south coasts of the island, however, had to get along without lighthouses until well into the 19th century , despite the well-known shoals and ever increasing shipping traffic.
After investigations in 1847 discovered new, previously unknown shoals, on August 14, 1848, the United States Congress approved funding of 12,000 US dollars (now approx. 400,000 dollars) for the construction of a lighthouse on the eponymous rock Sankaty Head . An additional 10 acres (4 hectares ) of land was purchased from George Myrick for $ 250 (approximately $ 8,300 today) for the required outbuildings . In 1849, the Cabet King company built the lighthouse, which is still active today, at a cost of $ 10,333 (today about $ 360,000). The lamp house itself is 9 ft (2.7 m ) high and is made of cast iron . For the purchase and installation of a second-order Fresnel lens manufactured in Paris , Congress approved additional funds of initially 6,000 dollars (approx. 200,000 dollars today) in 1848 and another 2,000 dollars in 1850 (approx. 70,000 dollars today) . The Sankaty Head Light was the first lighthouse in Massachusetts to have a Fresnel lens. At the same time, it was the first lighthouse in the United States to be equipped with such optics when it was first put into operation on February 1, 1850.
With the conversion of the island from a whaling center to a recreational and vacation island, the lighthouse became a popular attraction for visitors. In 1888 the outbuildings were demolished and rebuilt at a cost of $ 6,700 (around $ 190,000 today). In the same year the upper part of the tower was also renewed, which increased its height by 10 ft (3 m) to now 70 ft (21.3 m). In 1950 the Fresnel lens was replaced by a more modern optic and can now be viewed at the Nantucket Whaling Museum . In 1965 the lighthouse was fully automated.
In 1990, the United States Army Corps of Engineers announced that the lighthouse would likely tumble down the cliffs within the next decade due to soil erosion. The cost of moving the tower was estimated at $ 840,000 (approximately $ 1,640,000 today). As a result, islanders founded the non-profit organization Save Our Sankaty (SOS) to collect donations for the construction of the tower. At the same time, technical measures were taken to delay erosion. After the outbuildings had long been moved, the 'Sconset Trust acquired the lighthouse from the Nantucket Historical Association in 2007 and relocated it to its current location in November of that year. He is now on the fifth hole of the Sankaty Head Golf Course, approximately 390 ft (118.9 m) northwest of its old location and 250 ft (76.2 m) from the cliffs.
On October 15, 1987, the lighthouse was registered on the National Register of Historic Places along with 10 acres (4 hectares) of land under number 87002028 .
Architecture and technology
The 70 ft (21.3 m ) high tower rests on a 5 ft (1.5 m) in depth reaching the foundation and is in the lower part of brick, while the upper 6 ft (1.8 m) made of granite built were . It emits a white flash of light every 7.5 seconds with a range of 24 nm (44.4 km ).
See also
literature
- Fox, Leslie: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. (PDF) National Park Service , August 1981, accessed on September 23, 2015 (English, accessible via the "NR" button).
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d e D'Entremont, Jeremy: Sankaty Head Light history - New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide. Retrieved September 23, 2015 .
- ↑ Sankaty Head Lighthouse. 'Sconset Trust, accessed September 23, 2015 .
- ^ National Register Information System . In: National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service . Retrieved April 15, 2008.
- ↑ Light List Volume I. (PDF) Department of Homeland Security , United States Coast Guard , 2015, p. 40 , accessed on September 23, 2015 (English).
Web links
- Sankaty Head Light in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
