Highland Light

Highland Light
Map
LocationNorth Truro, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°2′22.282″N 70°3′39.377″W / 42.03952278°N 70.06093806°W / 42.03952278; -70.06093806
Tower
Constructed1797
FoundationNatural/emplaced
ConstructionBrick
Automated1987
Height66 feet (20 m)
ShapeConical
MarkingsWhite with black lantern
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Fog signalnone
Light
First lit1857 (current structure)
Focal height170 feet (52 m)
Lens1st order Fresnel lens (original), VegaMarine LED Beacon (current)
Range18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi)
CharacteristicFl W 5s, lighted continuously
Highland Light Station
LocationOff SR 6, Truro, Massachusetts
Area6.5 acres (2.6 ha)
Built1857
Architectural styleQueen Anne
Part ofTruro Highlands Historic District (ID11000823)
MPSLighthouses of Massachusetts TR
NRHP reference No.87001463[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 15, 1987
Designated CPNovember 22, 2011

The Highland Light (previously known as Cape Cod Light) is an active lighthouse on the Cape Cod National Seashore in North Truro, Massachusetts.[2][3][4] The current tower was erected in 1857, replacing two earlier towers that had been built in 1797 and 1831. It is the oldest and tallest lighthouse on Cape Cod.[5]

The grounds are open year-round, while the light is open to the public from May until late October, with guided tours available. Highland Light is owned by the National Park Service, and was cared for by the Highland Museum and Lighthouse, Inc. until 2014 when Eastern National, another non-profit group, took over the contract to operate the facility as a tourist attraction.[6] The United States Coast Guard operates the light as an aid to navigation.[7] The United States Navy ship USS Highland Light (IX-48) was named after the light. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Highland Light Station.[1]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Massachusetts". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  3. ^ Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2009. p. 7.
  4. ^ Rowlett, Russ (2009-09-07). "Lighthouses of the United States: Southeast Massachusetts". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  5. ^ Connally, E. A. "Highland Lighthouse" (PDF). Historic American Buildings Survey. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 1. Retrieved March 9, 2014. [permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Cape Cod (Highland) Lighthouse".
  7. ^ "Home". capecodlight.org.