Brant Point Light facts for kids
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| Brant Point Light in 2009 | |
 Brant Point Light
Location in Massachusetts
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| Location | Brant Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 41°17′23.711″N 70°5′25.025″W / 41.28991972°N 70.09028472°W |
| Year first constructed | 1746 |
| Year first lit | 1901 (current tower) |
| Automated | 1965 |
| Foundation | Stone piling |
| Construction | Wood |
| Tower shape | Conical, footbridge to shore |
| Markings / pattern | White with black lantern |
| Height | 26 feet (7.9 m) |
| Focal height | 26 ft |
| Original lens | 5th order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) |
| Characteristic | Occulting Red, 4s |
| Fog signal | Original: Bell Current: Horn: 1 every 10s |
| Admiralty number | J0414 |
| ARLHS number | USA-1095 |
| USCG number | 1-15205 |
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| The 1856 tower is still standing. U.S.Coast Guard photo |
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| Location | Coast Guard Station, Nantucket |
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| Coordinates | 41°17′23″N 70°5′33″W / 41.28972°N 70.09250°W |
| Year first lit | 1856 (this tower) |
| Deactivated | 1900 (this tower) |
| Foundation | Concrete and granite |
| Construction | Brick |
| Tower shape | Cylindrical |
| Markings / pattern | Various |
| Original lens | 4th order Fresnel lens |
| ARLHS number | USA-1094 |
The Brant Point Light is a famous lighthouse on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. It's special because it's one of the oldest lighthouse locations in the United States. The first light here was built way back in 1746!
This lighthouse has been rebuilt many times. The current tower is the tenth light to stand on this spot. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Today, the Brant Point Light is still working and helps guide ships safely.
Contents
Timeline of Brant Point Lights
Over the years, many different lights have stood at Brant Point. Here's a quick look at why:
- 1746: The very first wooden tower was built. It burned down in 1758.
- 1759: A second wooden tower was built. A strong storm blew it down in 1774.
- 1774: The third wooden tower was built. It also burned down in 1783.
- 1783: A simple lantern was hoisted between two tall poles.
- 1786: The fifth light was a wooden frame with lamps at the top. It was wrecked by a storm in 1788.
- 1788-1795: The sixth light, another tower, was built. It was found to be too old and weak by 1825.
- 1825: The seventh light was a small tower built on top of the keeper's house. It became rotten by 1853.
- 1856: A strong brick tower was built. This tower is still standing today, though it's not used as a lighthouse anymore.
- 1900: A temporary red light was set up at the very end of Brant Point. This was because the shipping channel had changed.
- 1901: The current wooden tower was built. This is the tenth light and seventh tower on the point, and it's still in use!
History of the Lighthouse
Early Lights and Challenges
In 1746, sea captains on Nantucket Island asked for a lighthouse. The town agreed to pay for it, even though they hoped ship owners would help. The first wooden tower was built, but it sadly burned down in 1758.
The town quickly built a new light in 1759. But in 1774, a "most violent Gust of Wind" blew it down. This storm was so strong it lasted only about a minute but destroyed the lighthouse and other buildings.
The town decided to rebuild the lighthouse for the third time. They asked the General Court of Massachusetts (the state's legislature) for permission to charge ships a small fee. Starting in 1774, ships over 15 tons had to pay a fee each time they entered or left Nantucket Harbor. In 1783, this third lighthouse also burned down.
The first three lighthouses weren't built very well. The fourth light, built in 1783, was even simpler. It was just a wooden lantern with glass windows, lifted between two poles. Sailors said it was as dim as a lightning bug, so they called it the "bug light." It was replaced in 1786 by a slightly better structure, but that one was also wrecked in a storm in 1788.
Federal Government Takes Over
In 1789, the United States Congress decided that the federal government would take over all colonial lighthouses. Between 1789 and 1795, another tower, the sixth, was built at Brant Point. This building was also cheaply made and was found to be too old and weak by 1825.
In 1825, a small tower was built on top of the lighthouse keeper's house. This was the seventh light. It had eight lamps with reflectors to make the light brighter.
The 1856 Brick Tower
By 1853, the lighthouse was in very bad shape. Experts told the United States Lighthouse Board that the wooden tower was rotting. They suggested building a new, stronger tower that would last longer.
In 1854, Congress approved $15,000 to rebuild the lighthouse. The new tower was built with a strong concrete and granite base. The tower itself was made of brick, with a space inside the walls for air circulation. The lamp room was made of cast iron with thick glass windows.
The new light, which used a special Fresnel lens, was first lit on December 10, 1856. This brick tower is still standing today on the Coast Guard base, though it's no longer an active lighthouse. For a while, it worked with the Nantucket Beacon to guide ships.
The Current Lighthouse
In 1900, the shipping channel changed, so the light needed to be moved further out. A temporary red light was set up about 600 feet from the 1856 tower. This was the ninth light at Brant Point.
Then, in 1901, a brand new wooden tower was built at the very end of the point. This is the tenth light and seventh tower. It first shone on January 31, 1901. This tower, which now has a fog horn, is still in use today!
In 1887, there was a disagreement about the lighthouse property lines. This was fixed in 1901 when the government sold some land that was no longer needed for the lighthouse.
Did you know? The Mystic Seaport Light in Connecticut, built in 1966, is a copy of the 1901 Brant Point Light.
Gallery
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Lighthouse in 2006
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Nantucket Harbor Range Lights with 1856 Brant Point Tower to the right
U.S. Coast Guard photo -
An early drawing of the light
U.S. Coast Guard
