NPS Photo/ A. Moorehead Home to Boston Light, the oldest lighthouse site in the country. This bedrock outcropping is one of the Brewsters, a group of the outermost islands in the park. Little Brewster Island is an active Coast Guard navigational aid facility and is not currently not open to visitors. General InformationThis island of Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park is managed by U.S. Coast Guard, First District. Visitor Facilities & ServicesThere is currently no public access to Little Brewster Island or Boston Light due to ongoing maintenance following winter storms. Boston Light Harbor Cruise Tours are available on a limited basis. Please refer to our Boston Lighthouse Tours page to learn more about tour availability.
Short HistoryThis two-acre island is best known as the home of Boston Light, the country's oldest continually used lighthouse site (1716). Originally financed by a tax of a penny-a-ton on all vessels entering and leaving the harbor, the stone lighthouse was largely destroyed by the British when they evacuated Boston at the close of the Revolutionary War, but was rebuilt in 1783. In 1859, the tower was raised 14 feet to its present height of 102 feet above sea level. This structural change enables its light to flash 27 miles out into the Atlantic. By 1990, the Coast Guard had automated every lighthouse in the United States, with Boston Light scheduled to be last in the process. Preservation groups appealed to Congress and the Coast Guard and funding was appropriated to keep Coast Guard staff on the island, where they remain to this day, recording meteorological data in addition to maintaining the light and structures on the island. Boston Light is a National Historic Landmark, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. For more information about the facility, please go to the National Park Service Maritime Heritage Program Inventory of Historic Light Stations. Natural History OverviewVegetationMost of the island is covered with mowed turf. Some seasonal flowers are planted around the keepers house. WildlifePlease see Animals page for more information. GeologyThe island is composed of exposed bedrock and covered with a thin layer of soil. Water FeaturesTwo cisterns collect rainwater for the keepers. One is located in the keeper's house. The other larger cistern is housed under a hip-roofed shed that collects rain. Views and VistasRising 89 feet, visitors that ascend the light with the permission of the U. S. Coast Guard staff enjoy excellent views of the Brewsters, the Graves, Hull, the inner islands and the Boston skyline, almost ten miles away. On the ground, the island offers unrestricted views due to the lack of vegetation Structures
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Last updated: November 30, 2023