West Chop Light
| West Chop Light | ||
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| Place: | Tisbury , Massachusetts , United States | |
| Location: | Massachusetts , United States | |
| Geographical location: | 41 ° 28 '50.9 " N , 70 ° 35' 59.2" W | |
| Fire carrier height : | 45 ft (13.7 m ) | |
| Fire height : | 84 ft (25.6 m ) | |
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| Identifier : | Oc W 4s Red sector from 281 ° to 331 ° |
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| Scope knows: | 14 nm (25.9 km ) | |
| Scope red: | 10 nm (18.5 km ) | |
| Construction time: | 1817/1846/1891 | |
| Operating time: | til today | |
West Chop Light is an historic lighthouse in Tisbury in the state of Massachusetts of the United States . 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
The area known as West Chop was a sheep pasture before the area was developed as an exclusive summer retreat in the 19th century and the port had most of the island's shipping traffic. The harbor in the village of Vineyard Haven is still used extensively by ferries. Although Vineyard Haven Harbor was very busy, the government did not build a lighthouse there, but first built the Cape Poge Light (1801) near Edgartown and the Tarpaulin Cove Light (1817) on Naushon Island . Only after protests by residents, the United States Congress approved on March 3, 1817, funds amounting to US $ 5,000 (now approx. US $ 99,000) for the construction of a lighthouse at West Chop. The 25 ft (7.6 m ) high tower went into operation on October 5, 1817 and had a 6 m by 10 m house for James Shaw West from Tisbury, who worked there for an annual salary of $ 350 (today about $ 6,900) worked as a lighthouse keeper .
In 1843 the still active West reported that both the tower and his house were leaking, so that the tower was already icing up from the inside in winter. In addition, increasing soil erosion threatens the stability of the buildings. In 1846, the tower and house were therefore rebuilt at a position approximately 1,000 ft (304.8 m) south of the old location. The lighthouse, built as a round tower made of stones, was later clad with wood, which gave it an octagonal exterior appearance. The cladding became necessary due to renewed leaks. 1882 powered by steam foghorn was installed and another house for the Deputy lighthouse keeper ( English assistant keeper ) added.
In 1888 the main house was demolished and replaced by a new building. Due to the increasing popularity of the place in the late 19th century, the newly built apartment buildings began to obscure the light from the lighthouse. Therefore, a 17 ft (5.2 m) high light mast was first erected on the tower, before it was replaced in 1891 by the successor structure still standing today. The originally red tower was painted white in 1896.
The lighthouse was the last to be automated on the island in 1976. To this day it has a fourth order Fresnel lens . The house closest to the tower is used by the US Coast Guard , while the second house is used as a vacation home for members of the American military .
On June 15, 1987, the lighthouse was registered as the West Chop Light Station under number 87001506 on the National Register of Historic Places .
Architecture and technology
The 45 ft (13.7 m) high tower was built from bricks. Its white continuous light, which has a range of 14 nm (25.9 km ), is interrupted every 4 seconds ( occulting ). A red sector from 281 ° to 331 ° warns ships of two shoals . The tower also has a fog horn that emits a three-second sound signal every 30 seconds (3s bl).
See also
literature
- Salzman, N .; DiStefano, V .: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. (PDF) National Park Service , August 26, 1981, accessed on September 16, 2015 (English, accessible via the "NR" button).
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d D'Entremont, Jeremy: West Chop Light history - New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide. Retrieved September 16, 2015 (English, 1997-2015).
- ^ 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. 121 , accessed on September 16, 2015 (English).
