Old Harbor U.S. Life Saving Station

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Old Harbor U.S. Life Saving Station
Photo by and courtesy of Alexey Sergeev, www.asergeev.com
Established in 1897, Old Harbor U.S. Life Saving Station was originally situated on Nauset Beach at the Chatham Harbor entrance. Life Saving Service architect George R. Tolman designed the Duluth-type building, along with at least 27 other lifesaving stations using the same plans that he completed in 1893. Old Harbor U.S. Life Saving Station features a rectangular floor plan divided into two sections. Topped by a large gable roof, one side of the building historically functioned as living space, containing a keeper's room, office, kitchen and mess room with sleeping quarters above. A one-story, two-bay boat room occupied the other side. Rising between the two sections along the front of the building is a rectangular, four-story, lookout tower. The station received some improvements in 1910, probably to make it better suited to house and operate a motorized life boat.

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Nauset Life-Saving crew launching their surfboat, no date known, possibly post 1915
Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard

The newly formed U.S. Coast Guard took over the duties of the U.S. Life-Saving Service in 1915 and served at Old Harbor U.S. Life Saving Station, which became known as Old Harbor Coast Guard Station until it was discontinued in 1944. A private party purchased the station in 1947. The station remained in private ownership until 1961, when the Cape Cod National Seashore was established. Threatened by extensive shoreline erosion, Old Harbor U.S. Life Saving Station was moved from Nauset Beach to Race Point Beach in 1977.

Old Harbor U.S. Life Saving Station, administered by the National Park Service's Cape Cod National Seashore, is located on Race Point Beach. It is open to the public from 2:30pm to 5:00pm daily, beach fees apply. Parking is available at Race Point Beach. Every Thursday at 6:00pm in July and August, National Park Service rangers reenact the historic "Beach Apparatus Drill" employed by the U.S. Life-Saving Service to rescue shipwrecked mariners.

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