A nonprofit group wants to keep an iconic, century-old lighthouse in Woods Hole under watch.
The federal government is making the Nobska Point Light available − for free − to either local nonprofits or government entities. The town and the Friends of Nobska Lightan organization dedicated to restoring the lighthouse, each submitted a letter of interest.
Kathleen Walrath, president of Friends of Nobska Light, called the move expected and welcomed.
“All the work we’re doing aligns with this next step in Nobska’s history,” Walrath said.
The lighthouse is on a rocky point jutting out from the entrance to Woods Hole Harbor and the junction of the Vineyard and Nantucket sounds in Buzzards Bay, according to National Register of Historic Places website.
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During the 111 years from 1828 to 1939, the US Lighthouse Service activated the lighthouse. In 1939, the service was merged into US Coast Guardwhich then took over operations, according to the Coast Guard website.
In 2016, the Coast Guard awarded management of the property to Falmouth. The Select Board then approved a license agreement and memorandum of understanding with the Friends of Nobska Light to pass responsibility for care, programming and fundraising to the nonprofit.
The federal government offers lighthouses for free
Since Congress approved it in 2000 National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, 150 lighthouses were given to new owners in a program managed by the US General Services Administration. That includes 81 lights to local governments and nonprofits through free transfers and about 70 sold through public auction, raising more than $10 million.
This year, the record number of lighthouses offered for nonprofits and government entities features Nobska Point Light and at least five others, including Plymouth/Gurnet Lighthouse, Warwick Neck Light in Rhode Island, and Lynde Point Lighthouse in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
The US General Services Administration issued a notice of availability for Nobska Point Light on its website on May 15. Letters of interest must be submitted 60 days after the notice is published.
The General Service Administration and National Park Service schedule a site visit as the next step. At that point, Walrath said the Friends of Nobska Light and the town will come together and decide how to submit the strongest application.
The National Park Service will review the applications, before making recommendations to the General Service Administration.
The whole process could take several years, he said.
Entities applying to own the lighthouse must financially maintain the station and make it available for educational, recreational, cultural, or historic preservation “for the public at reasonable times and under reasonable conditions,” according to the news release.
If a nonprofit or government entity is not approved as the new owner, the lighthouse may be auctioned off to the public. The Lighthouse Preservation Act ensures that lighthouses remain “accessible to the public unless the National Park Service can’t find a nonprofit or municipality to take them over,” Walrath said.
“That’s the only time it’s going to auction,” Walrath said.
Additionally, at least four will be sold to the public through auctions, including the Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Fairfield, Connecticut. Auction sales brought in between $10,000 and $933,888.
A group of friends plan to restore Nobska Point Light
To ensure the lighthouse remains a beacon in Falmouth, the Friends of Nobska Light worked hard to restore the property, Walrath said. Once the restoration is complete, the lighthouse will function as a maritime museum.
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In 2019, the group began preserving the head of the tower, removing any rust and damage that had been repaired over the years. It has now received full rehabilitation and is well preserved, requiring maintenance every five years.
“We’re going to lose parts of it if we don’t act,” Walrath said.
Work to preserve the home’s exterior was completed in 2020, and the group is just “finishing the last bits” of interior preservation. Building a site complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act has also been a priority, including an accessible path to the tower and keeper’s house.
Once the occupancy permit is received, Walrath estimates the tower and guard house will be open to the public this summer.
History of the Nobska Point Light property
The original lighthouse was built in 1828, with the Nobska Light established the following year. That lighthouse was later replaced by the current structure and lightkeeper’s house built in 1876, according to the Coast Guard website.
The 40-foot cast-iron tower was built in Chelsea and transported to Woods Hole in four sections. It consists of four “rings” of steel panels and is equipped with a standard cast iron lantern, according to its property description.
The tower was originally equipped with a fifth-order Fresnel lens, an invention that captures light to focus and deflect the beam in one direction. Later, in 1888, it was replaced by a larger fourth-order Fresnel lens. That lens still tops the tower and will be maintained by the Coast Guard.
Joseph Hindley, the last civilian light keeper, retired in 1972. He was then replaced by active duty Coast Guard personnel.
The light later became fully automatic in 1985. Two years later, it was put on National Register of Historic Places.
The four-acre property also includes the original keeper’s quarters, the brick oil house, and paint lockers, all of which were built in 1876. A second keeper’s quarter, connecting to the original, was added in 1900. A garage was built in 1931. and the radio building beacon was built in 1937.
The guard’s quarters were Cape-style wooden buildings with thatched roofs.
Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach him at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @zanerazz.
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