The Gay Head Light holds the notable honor of beg the first lighthoe nstcted on Martha’s Veyard. In 1796, Senator Peleg Coff suggted the nstctn of the lighthoe.
Contents:
- HISTORY OF THE GAY HEAD LIGHTHOE
- GAY HEAD LIGHT
- THE GAY HEAD LIGHT, EARLY DAYS
- GAY HEAD LIGHTHOE
- GAY HEAD LIGHTHOE MOVE IS PLETE
- MEET THE BUILR WHO IS MOVG THE HISTORIC GAY HEAD LIGHTHOE
HISTORY OF THE GAY HEAD LIGHTHOE
Gay Head Light, featured Martime History of Massachetts travel erary. Explore historic marime s Massachetts listed the Natnal Register of Historic Plac. * history of gay head lighthouse *
In 1796, bee both islands were eply volved the whalg dtry, marime traffic had creased to the pot that Peleg Coff of Nantucket wrote his Congrsman askg for a light to be erected at Gay Head. This thorizatn was to help facilate safe passage for shippg traffic through the hazardo Veyard Sound between the Gay Head clay cliffs and the Elizabeth Islands. 1852 saw the Feral Lighthoe Board issue a 760-page report statg that Gay Head Lighthoe was “not send to any on the eastern ast, and should be fted, whout lay, wh a first-orr illumatg apparat.
” In 1853 lighthoe keeper Samuel Flanrs reported to the Veyard Gazette: “Gay Head is to have a new lighthoe, 5 or 6 rods back om the prent one, a new dwellg hoe is also to be erected”.
The prevly dim Gay Head Light was now bright enough to be nfed wh the send orr Frnel lens that was the Sankaty Light on Nantucket, and at least one shipwreck occurred. Before beg shipped to the Uned Stat, the Frnel lens missned for the Gay Head Light was exhibed at the 1855 Paris Exhibn of Indtry, and won first-prize. On May 15, 1874, the beam pattern was changed om jt flashg whe to three wh and one red, to distguish Gay Head om all other lights along the East Coast.
GAY HEAD LIGHT
* history of gay head lighthouse *
In the mid-1980s, due to Uned Stat Coast Guard fundg shortag, the Gay Head Light along wh two other Martha’s Veyard lightho (East Chop Light and Edgartown Harbor Light) were listed for stctn. This lighthoe license gave plete ntrol over the management and matenance of Gay Head Light stcture (except the aid to navigatn) and s surroundg grounds. The proceeds om the lighthoe benefs were applied to a major rtoratn of the Gay Head Light, and plans were ma to open the light and grounds to the public.
On October 12, 2012, Aqunah rint Elise LeBov met wh Aqunah Board of Selectmen to clare the need to form a Commtee to save Gay Head Light, based on rmatn veloped by Keeper Skidmore; cludg prelimary se viss wh reprentativ om Internatnal Chimney, and her pennt rearch to other muni that had faced a siar prediment. On October 30, 2012, a Martha’s Veyard Mm legatn prised of David Nathans, who was then executive director, Betsey Mayhew, chief fancial officer, Jim Richardson, board member and geologist, who had lent his expertise to the e, Craig Dripps, chair of the Mm’s Lighthoe mtee, and Keeper Skidmore— went to the Aqunah Board of Selectmen and reported their fdgs about the need to save Gay Head Light by movg .
THE GAY HEAD LIGHT, EARLY DAYS
History, rmatn, pictur, lotn, and GPS ordat of the Gay Head Lighthoe Massachetts. * history of gay head lighthouse *
The official fundraisg mpaign, head by Mzi Pratt and Meg Bodnar, began on June 21st, 2013 wh the announcement that the Natnal Tst for Historic Prervatn had put the Gay Head Light on ’s 2013 list of Ameri’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Plac.
GAY HEAD LIGHTHOE
Gay Head Lighthoe was the first lighthoe built on Martha's Veyard and one of the first the U.S. to receive a first orr Frnel lens 1856. The lighthoe is immediate danger of topplg over the edge of the Gay Head Cliffs, a nsequence of a century of erosn and the direct impact of climate change. * history of gay head lighthouse *
In Febary 2015, after months of discsn wh several feral and state agenci, cludg the Natnal Park Service, the US Coast Guard, the Department of the Interr, the State Historic Prervatn Office, the Town of Aqunah acquired Gay Head Light.
Grane foundatn ston, found durg the exvatn for the move were placed a circle markg the spot where Gay Head Light had stood for 159 years. Followg the move, the SAVE THE GAY HEAD LIGHT mtee was disband, missn acplished, and the Gay Head Light Advisory Board was formed to oversee the future needs of the buildg. By September 1st, 2016, the old se had been renstuted, and the new Lighthoe Park, adjacent to Gay Head Light, was opened to the public.
The recent announcement of a $59, 000 matchg grant om the Massachetts Prervatn Projects Fund sur that, the Autumn of 2017, necsary brick work will be acplished— the latt example of the Town of Aqunah’s re for the Island’s preement marime in, Gay Head Light. Established 1799, Gay Head Light Statn nsisted of a keeper's dwellg and an octagonal tower, which guid marers past Devil's Bridge rocks, a dangero ledge reachg out om the cliffs along the south shore of the island, and through the entrance to Veyard Sound. Veyard Environmental Rearch Instute leased Gay Head Light om the Coast Guard 1985, and the license was transferred to the Martha's Veyard Historil Society 1994.
GAY HEAD LIGHTHOE MOVE IS PLETE
Man's Country, Chigo's olst gay bathhoe, closed forever on New Year's Day 2018. Here's a last look si s hallowed halls. * history of gay head lighthouse *
Wh some upgras to cleaner burng, more efficient parabolic lens lamps the Gay Head Light ntued operatn until 1844 when was termed that the clay cliffs had erod puttg the lighthoe stcture at risk.
In the 1980s, the Veyard Environmental Rearch, Instute’s (VERI) helped fight for the prervatn of three lightho slated for moln, cludg Gay Head. Extensive prervatn took place, potg bricks and remediatn of toxic mold eventually endg the placg of Gay Head Light on the Natnal Register of Historic Plac.
MEET THE BUILR WHO IS MOVG THE HISTORIC GAY HEAD LIGHTHOE
GEI Consultants served as the geotechnil nsultant for the relotn of the 465-ton, 159-year-old Gay Head Lighthoe. * history of gay head lighthouse *
An unique aspect of the Gay Head Light is the opportuny to learn about the Wampanoag who still ri on their anctral land at Aqunah.