Boston Light is a historic lighthouse in Boston Harbor. The lighthouse was built in 1716, making it the first lighthouse in America. The lighthouse has since been rebuilt and is now an 89-foot-tall, conical-shaped lighthouse made out of rubble stone with brick lining.
The following is a timeline of the history of Boston Light:
1713:
- Construction begins on the Boston Light on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor.
1716:
- On September 14, Boston Light is lit for the first time and is illuminated using tallow candles.
- George Worthylake is the first lighthouse keeper at Boston Light.
1718:
- On November 3, George Worthylake and his family are returning to Little Brewster Island after attending a sermon in Boston when their canoe capsizes and everyone drowns. Worthylake is the first lighthouse keeper to die in the line of duty.
- On November 14, Robert Saunders, John Chamberlin, and a man named Bradduck are hired to maintain Boston Light until a replacement light-keeper can be appointed but Chamberlin and Bradduck both drown due to the choppy seas they encountered on their way to the island.
- A 13-year-old Benjamin Franklin immortalizes the tragedies in a poem titled The Lighthouse Tragedy.
1719:
- A cannon is placed next the lighthouse to use as a fog horn, making it the first fog horn in America.
- Captain John Haye becomes the second keeper of the lighthouse.
1720:
- A fire caused by the oil lamps damages the interior of the lighthouse, causing cracks in the masonry walls, but it is repaired and put back into service.
1723:
- A storm further damages the masonry walls of the lighthouse.
1726:
- Extensive repairs are made to the exterior walls of the lighthouse.
1733:
- Robert Ball replaces Haye as lighthouse keeper.
1738:
- The lighthouse is repainted white with black trim.
1751:
- Another fire damages the lighthouse so badly only the walls remain. A temporary light is built on a pole until repairs can be made to the lighthouse.
1774:
- British forces occupying Boston during the American Revolution take control of Boston Light.
1775:
- In early July, an American raiding party set the lighthouse on fire during the Siege of Boston.
- On July 31, a 300-man raiding party, under orders from General Washington, storm Little Brewster Island and set fire to the lighthouse again.
1776:
- On March 17, as British forces are evacuating from Boston they set off a powder keg in the lighthouse which destroys the top section of the tower and renders the lighthouse unusable to the Americans. The lighthouse is abandoned as a result.
1780:
- John Hancock, the Governor of Massachusetts, addresses the Senate and the House of Representatives and states that without a lighthouse, a successful shipping industry is not possible in Boston.
1783:
- The Massachusetts legislatures authorizes the reconstruction of Boston Light.
- The lighthouse is rebuilt using the original plans from 1716 and the remaining sections of the old lighthouse are incorporated into the new lighthouse.
- The newly rebuilt lighthouse is illuminated using fish oil lamps.
1789:
- A total of 16 oil lamps are used to illuminate Boston Light.
1790:
- Boston Light is ceded to the Federal government as a result of the Lighthouses Act and is operated by the U.S. Lighthouse Service.
1809:
- Dangerous cracks are discovered in the structure of the lighthouse and six heavy iron bands are placed around the lighthouse to strengthen it.
1811:
- The lighthouse’s oil lamps are replaced with Argand lamps, an improved oil-burning system that uses a hollow circular wick in a glass chimney that is mounted on a revolving base.
1812-1814:
- During the War of 1812, Boston Light is dimmed to reduce its usefulness to enemy ships.
1828:
- The lighthouse is illuminated using a chandelier with 14 lamps and reflectors.
1844:
- An iron spiral staircase, a cast iron balcony, iron window frames and an iron door are constructed in the lighthouse.
1859:
- The Argand lamps are replaced with a Fresnel lens, a massive 11-foot-tall lens made from hundreds of sparkling glass prisms.
- In order to accommodate the new lens, the lighthouse is renovated and its height is increased from 75 feet to 89 feet.
1884:
- The keeper’s dwelling is built on the island.
1914:
- During WWI, Boston Light is dimmed to reduce its usefulness to enemy ships.
1916:
- The keepers are Captain Hart, Mr. Howard and Mr. Small.
1939:
- Operations at Boston Light are transferred from the U.S. Lighthouse Service to the U.S. Coast Guard.
1941:
- Maurice Babcock becomes the last lighthouse keeper before the Coast Guard takes control of the lighthouse.
1945:
- Boston Light’s beam is rated at 100,000 candlepower.
1948:
- Boston Light is electrified.
1959:
- Boston Light is changed from a family-operated to a male-billeted station.
1960:
- Indoor plumbing is installed in the keeper’s house.
1962:
- A 1,500 watt bulb is installed in the Fresnel lens which is rated at 2-million candlepower and visible for 16 miles.
1964:
- Boston light is designated a National Historic Landmark.
1966:
- On October 15, Boston Light is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
1978:
- The Blizzard of 78 destroys the last docking facility at the lighthouse.
1984:
- The keeper’s dwelling is renovated.
1987:
- Boston Light is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
1989:
- On December 12, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1989 is passed by Congress and includes a passage that orders for the Boston Light to be permanently manned, making it the only lighthouse in America to still have a lighthouse keeper.
1998:
- On April 16, Boston Light is automated, making it the last lighthouse in the country to be automated.
2003:
- Sally Snowman is appointed lighthouse keeper at Boston Light. She is the 70th lighthouse keeper, the first civilian keeper since 1941 and the first female lighthouse keeper at Boston Light.
2023:
- In December, Sally Snowman retires as lighthouse keeper at Boston Light. She was the last lighthouse keeper in America.
Sources:
“Boston Light.” National Park Service, nps.gov/boha/learn/historyculture/boston-light.htm
Ham, Walter. “Legacy of Light: Boston Light Marks 300th Anniversary.” U.S. Department of Defense, 14 Sept. 2016, defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/944907/legacy-of-light-boston-light-marks-300th-anniversary/
“Lighthouse Spotlight: Boston Light.” Boston Harbor Islands, 4 Sept. 2020, bostonharborislands.org/blog/lighthouse-spotlight-boston-light/
Meyers, Catherine. “The Remarkable Lens in America’s Oldest Lighthouse Station.” American Institute of Physics, 18 Nov. 2016, ww2.aip.org/inside-science/the-remarkable-lens-in-americas-oldest-lighthouse-station
“Historic Area Detail: BOS.JA Boston Light Station.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=BOS.JA