Eastern Point Light Station

[photo]
Eastern Point Light Station
Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont, www.lighthouse.cc
Eastern Point Light Station was established in 1832. Following the arrival of the railroad in Gloucester in 1847 the fishing business exploded and the importance of Eastern Point Light increased. A new light tower replaced the poorly constructed original tower in 1848. American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910) lived at Eastern Point Light in 1880. Homer's works depicting the scenery and everyday life of this maritime community are among his most famous. The third and present tower was built in 1890 on the masonry foundation of the 1832 tower. The 36-foot tall, conical brick tower is painted white. An enclosed passageway and covered walkway connect the tower to the two-story double keepers' quarters, which was built in 1879. Eastern Point Light Station consists of the 1890 tower, keepers' quarters, walkway, oil house and bell tower. Also located on the site is a secondary keeper's dwelling (1908), a radio beacon (1931) and a foghorn (1951).

[photo] Eastern Point Light Station
Photos by Jeremy D'Entremont, www.lighthouse.cc
Operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, Eastern Point Light is an active aid to navigation and is closed to the public. In 1986, the light was automated and unmanned, though the dwellings continued to serve as housing for local U.S. Coast Guard personel. When the original fourth-order Fresnel lens was removed it was replaced by a modern optic. The Fresnel lens is now displayed at the Cape Ann Historical Museum in downtown Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Eastern Point Light Station is located on a rocky promontory overlooking Dog Bar Reef at the eastern entrance to Gloucester Harbor in Gloucester. It is an active aid to navigation and is closed to the public. A nearby breakwater and parking lot are open all year and provide good views of the light station.

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