Introduction
Nauset Beach Light
I like photographing lighthouses! On a recent trip to Cape Cod, MA, I visited the beautiful Nauset Beach Light on the Cape Cod National Seashore in Eastham. A bold red-and-white tower, it sits on a hill for maximum visibility. I captured the lighthouse in the early-morning light, then returned for a tour of the interior, which was very cool.
Originally built in 1877, the tower was moved to its current location in 1923 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tower's exterior is a cast-iron plate shell lined with brick, standing 48 feet tall. An adjacent brick oil house has been restored. The lightkeeper’s home is adjacent to this.
History
Nauset Beach Light
The Nauset Light was originally built in 1877 as one of two towers in Chatham. It was moved to its current location in 1923 to replace the Three Sisters of Nauset. The Three Sisters were three small wooden lighthouses relocated 1000 feet west of the Nauset Light. The original Nauset Light was uniformly white, but the top section was painted red in the 1940s, giving the tower its iconic appearance.
In 1981, the Light’s Fresnel lens was removed and replaced with aerobeacons. These bulbs were later replaced with 400-watt metal halide bulbs.
Coastal Erosion
By the 1990s, the Nauset Light was less than 50 feet from the edge of a 70-foot cliff due to coastal erosion. When the Coast Guard considered decommissioning the lighthouse, a strong public outcry followed, prompting the formation of the Nauset Light Preservation Society. As a result, the society arranged to relocate the tower and brick oil house to a safer location.
The Interior
With a group of photographers, we were given access to the lighthouse’s interior. Never having been in a lighthouse before, I found what I saw very interesting. As I stepped in and looked up, I saw a spiral staircase extending to the top. I repeatedly tried to get a good photograph looking up from the ground floor with my mirrorless camera. That did not work very well, so I eventually switched to shooting with my iPhone, which came out better.
Conclusion
The Nauset Light is a quintessential symbol of Cape Cod. It stands as a testament to the region's maritime heritage, guiding sailors with its distinctive red-and-white tower. If you are planning a trip to Cape Cod, visiting the Nauset Light offers a unique opportunity to step back in time and experience a piece of Cape Cod’s nautical history.