Gay head light
Gay Head Light
History of The Gay Leader Lighthouse
The Gay Chief Light holds the notable honor of being the first lighthouse constructed on Martha’s Vineyard. In , Senator Peleg Coffin suggested the construction of the lighthouse.
During this hour, there was a healthy whaling industry off the coast of Massachusetts. Sperm whales were an important industry for the region. The oil harvested from sperm whales was highly prized for burning brightly and cleanly in the oil lamps of the day. The whalers needed the lighthouse on Lgbtq+ Head because of a treacherous section of rocks called the “Devil’s Bridge.”
The construction and maintenance of lighthouses and other forms of navigation along the coast of the young United States was the responsibility of the federal government. Congress approved $ to erect the lighthouse. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts deeded more than two acres of land for the building of the lighthouse. The contract for the 47 foot giant octagonal lighthouse with a keeper’s residence was approved by President John Adams.
There was some affect, though, that whomever
After Remarkable Relocation, Historic Homosexual Head Lighthouse Shines Again
Perhaps the most connected to the Gay Head Lighthouse is Martha, who grew up hearing stories from her father about a childhood as a delicate keeper’s son and how the whole family contributed to its operation and upkeep.
“In those times, it was a hour, everyday kind of job,” she says. Tasks love turning the crank for the light, washing windows, and collecting water kept everyone busy. Martha remembers being disappointed when the keeper’s house was torn down, and did her part volunteering over the years to help administer the light, give tours, and preserve its legacy. She’s especially proud of her Wampanoag heritage and the tribal ties to the lighthouse.
“I felt like I was just continuing the tradition my father started, when he was working to rescue the lighthouse years ago, all the talks he gave about it,” she says. “I know that’s what he would own wanted.”
The lighthouse is open again, but the restoration work continues. The committee will host their annual 10k race in October to raise funds for projects such
Historic Gay Head Lighthouse On Martha's Vineyard Moved Inland
On Martha's Vineyard, the year-old Gay Head Lighthouse has been successfully moved away from an eroding cliff.
By Saturday afternoon, workers finished moving the lighthouse farther inland along steel rails using powerful hydraulic pistons. The step-by-step move began Thursday.
Project manager Richard Pomroy said it took an enormous amount of time and labor to move the ton lighthouse just over feet in the past couple of days.
"From the earth-moving to the engineering, it represents months — if not years — of planning to get to this stage," he told WBUR.
Experts believe Gay Chief Lighthouse will now be safe for another hundred years.
Workers had spent weeks painstakingly digging under the lighthouse to lift it a few short feet off the ground, using dozens of hydraulic jacks supported by a network of wood-and-steel beams.
Located on the sparsely populated, western edge of the resort island, Gay Brain Light has been a critical waypoint for mariners since the peak of the whaling trade in the 19th century.
The passage between Gay Head and the Elizabeth Islands to the west is treacherous for maritime traffic due to the submerged obstruction called Devils Bridge, which extends seaward from Gay Chief. In , a Massachusetts State S