Chatham Light, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

The main lighthouse in Chatham is easily viewed. Therefore it has become rather common for photography. The beach across the way has breath taking views of the ocean and the continuously changing sand bars. Each year the sand bars change with the winter storms.

This lighthouse has more information about its history. Did you know that it was originally twins? That's right. Chatham was known for the "twin lights" and later I will talk about the "Three sisters" of Eastham. These two lighthouses history mix together.

The reason Chatham had twin lights was so that it would be easy for the ships to know where on the long arm of the Cape they were located.

The twin lights were built in 1808. In just 30 years they were described as to dangerous to ascend in windy weather. So two brick towers were built and completed in the summer of 1841. The house still had such a poor foundation that rats had infested the cellar. A storm in October of 1841 broke 17 panes of glass in the lanterns. In 1857 the Chatham lights received fourth-order Fresnel lenses, each with white lights and fueled by lard oil.

In 1870 the lights were 228 feet from the edge of a 50-foot bluff. A tremendous storm hit Cape Cod in November 1870 which sped up the erosion situation. By 1877, the lighthouses were only 48 feet from the edge of the bluff. In 1877 two 48 foot conical cast-iron towers were erected to replace the ones threatened by erosion. On December 15, 1879 one of the lighthouses fell down the bluff to the beach below. 15 months later the house and second lighthouse fell.

In 1923 (after 115) the "Twin lights" came to an end. The north light was moved up the coast to Eastham to replace the "Three Sisters". The foundation of the North light currently is a memorial for seven members of the crew of the Monomoy Life Saving Station who died attempting to save the crew of a distressed ship in 1902.

The single lighthouse was automated in 1982. Today the Coast Guard is in control of the navigational aid. In 1991 Hurricane Bob part of the overlook and parking lot in front of the Chatham lighthouse were washed away. Also the fierce storm created a break in the beach to the east of the Chatham light.

If you have enjoyed this lens, check out my other lens on the history of Stage Harbor Light.

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