Loading ...Two towers were originally built on Plum Island, Massachusetts in 1787 and served a number of years before being destroyed. President George Washington appointed Abner Lowell as the keeper. Three generations of the Lowell family served as keepers.
Another two lighthouses were built in 1838, and after one was destroyed, it was decided not to rebuild it. These towers served as range lights and they were built on movable foundations so their positions could be moved easily as the sandbars around Plum Island shifted. At the time, the lighthouses were only accessible by boat.
Over time, the remaining tower was too far inland because of the shifting sands and a new tower (which is the current lighthouse) was built in 1898 and the lens moved from the old tower to the new tower.
The lighthouses on Plum Island were originally fueled by whale oil, then kerosene before being electrified. The Plum Island Lighthouse that you see today was first lighted on September 20, 1898.
The Newburyport Harbor Lighthouse is occasionally open during the summer for tours. Please see New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide by Jeremy D’Entremont for more information.
The following are photographs of the Newburyport Harbor Lighthouse I took when my wife and I visited the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on November 5th, 2006 for some birding. You may view my article on the birding trip at Birding In Maine.
Simply click a thumbnail for a larger view.
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Technorati Tags: Massachusetts, keeper, lighthouses, Plum Island, lighthouse, photographs, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, birding
