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On Saturday, June 14, 2008 the MV Chamber of Commerce will hold its first ever lighthouse challenge. This is a great opportunity to see all five lighthouses of Martha’s Vineyard.
Tickets include admission to four of the five lighthouses… West Chop is closed due to unsafe conditions but the grounds are open. The $95 ticket includes the opening night reception as well as the Sunday morning awards ceremony.
Click here to find out more information about the challenge and read about the history of the lighthouses.
This is a great way to not only see the lighthouses but to enjoy the beauty of the Vineyard as well.
My friend Seamond is the daughter of the last lighthousekeeper at West Chop… I am hoping she adds one of her delightful and informative comments to this post. Take it away Seamond…
The original Edgartown lighthouse was built on a small man-made island in Edgartown harbor in 1828. For the first year the only way to get to it was by boat until a foot bridge was built. The first structure was replaced in 1938 by one that was brought by raft from Ipswich, MA. Although the new light was placed on the original site, sand had filled in the area between the island and the mainland, and the current lighthouse stands on the shore.
This past year the Edgartown lighthouse, as well as the East Chop lighthouse, have undergone extensive renovations. As reported in the Oct 5, 2007 online issue of the Vineyard Gazette:
“Harmful peeling paint in the interior of the lighthouse has been sandblasted and hauled away. A new marine epoxy has been applied to the 80 cast-iron panels that make up the structure.” “Prior to the recent renovation work, only the beacon shone at night, and the windows below were covered by plywood and painted to look real. Following the renovation it will be open to the public.”
The renovation has been completed, click here to see the progress.
The five lighthouses of MV: Edgartown, West Chop, East Chop, Cape Poge and Aquinnah.
According to the Vineyard Visitor the East Chop lighthouse in Oak Bluffs was “Originally built in 1802 on Telegraph Hill, the lighthouse is on the site of the signal station that received semaphore messages from Woods Hole to indicate the arrival of homebound whaling ships. The current lighthouse was built in 1877.”
In the early 1870’s Silas Daggett built a lighthouse at East Chop and operated it privately until 1871 when it burned down and was rebuilt on top of a house. In 1875 the government bought it and removed Daggett’s structure. The new lighthouse was painted white at first but in 1880 was painted a reddish-brown color thus earning the nickname the “chocolate lighthouse.” It was repainted white in 1988.
Cape Poge lighthouse is located on the eastern end of Chappaquiddick island which is located off the bigger island of Martha’s Vineyard. To get to Chappaquiddick you have to take a small, three car ferry from Edgartown called the On Time I or the On Time II. They’re called that because no matter when they run they’re always on time. To get to Cape Poge lighthouse you have to use a vehicle which will drive over deep sand or take a tour… no matter how you get out there it’s definitely worth it.
Cape Poge is the only wooden lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard. The original strucure was built in 1801. By 1838 it had been destroyed by the ravaging seas and rebuilt further inland. It was again rebuilt in 1893. The present structure was build in 1922 and in 1985 gained distinction as being the first lighthouse to be moved by helicopter. It is the only lighthouse on MV that has guy wires with sand anchors to help protect it from powerful winds.
This picture of Gay Head lighthouse was taken by me around 1960. I believe the building is the Coast Guard station which was being removed as it was too close to the edge due to the erosion of the cliffs. (Seamond can you verify this).
This picture is from 2006.
According to the book “Guide to Martha’s Vineyard” the original lighthouse was one of the first revolving ones in the country; often the wooden works became swollen in damp weather, and the keeper or his wife was obliged to turn the light by hand all night long. In 1856 this was replaced by a larger steel structure that housed a stronger light with a Fresnel lens. In 1952 the present automatic light was erected, and the old lens was given to the Vineyard Museum.”
The Fresnel lens from the outside…
and inside.
There are five lighthouses on Martha’s Vineyard and I chose to talk about West Chop first because I have a personal interest in it. My dear friend Seamond grew up here in the 1950’s. She was the daughter of the last lighthouse keeper of West Chop lighthouse. Imagine living next to this beautiful lighthouse on the harbor in Vineyard Haven… the ocean and stunning views right outside the door and the busy harbor only a few feet away. A few years ago I was lucky enough to go inside the lighthouse and the view was breath taking. I’m looking forward to reading her comments… if anyone should be writing a book about MV it should be Seamond… she’s rich with interesting and informative tales.
The lighhouse itself was built in 1817 of wood. It was replaced in 1838 with the current brick one. As far as I know it’s been moved back from the edge of the cliff twice, once in 1848 and then in 1891. If you can add to this information Seamond please do 
