BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION LIGHTHOUSE INFORMATION FORM MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 PHOTOGRAPH KEY Leslie Fox - MHC - 1981 1) Light tower 2) Close-up, light tower 3) House, light tower 4) Oil house SKETCH MAP marblehead Marblehend Harbor assachasetts Bay marblehead RECORDED BY: N. Salzman ORGANIZATION: MHC DATE: July 16, 1981 NUMBER 24 HISTORIC NAME: Marblehead Light TOWN: Marblehead LOCATION:_on Marblehead Neck COUNTY: Essex CODE: 009 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: Sixth LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Essex County Courthouse (Book 283, p.
290) VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: See attached site plan - the nomination includes the light tower and oil house UTM COORDINATE: 19/349/500/4706/800 USGS QUADRANGLE : BOSTON,MA:NH;CT;RI;ME SCALE: 1: 250,000 ACREAGE: less than one acre OWNER (S):Tower: First Coast Guard District 408 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA 02210 Town of Marblehead owns land surrounding tower as part of Hovey Park, including oilhous STATUS: Urmanned/Active LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS* THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #F24 page 1 Marblehead Light, Marblehead SITE DESCRIPTION: Marblehead Light, Marblehead, is located on the north point of Marblehead Neck at the east entrance of Marblehead Harbor. Chandler Hovey Park, a town park in a residential neighborhood. been a prominent landmark in a famous yachting area. Across the harbor is the downtown area of Marblehead.
From the lens room of the tower, Boston Harbor can easily be seen--including the Lighthouses: Boston Light, Graves Light, and Minots_Ledge Light. Marblehead Light has been regarded by navigators as a prominent landmark while en route southerly or northerly. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #24 Page 2 MAJOR ELEMENTS: The site includes the tall Eiffel-Tike tower (1895) and an intact brick oil house (1835?). Tower - central cast iron stair column braced by eight piles 11'10" apart at the ground. Four sets of horizontal pipe/braces connect these piles. Diagonal crossbracing with iron tie rods and turnbuckles stabilize the structure. The piles are supported on eight concrete squares 30" wide. The base of the pile is 22" in diameter with a 4" flange.
The central column is connected to the outer pilings by horizontal pipes, 15' from the corners, and 9 1/2" from the center column. These are spaced every 30" around the colum. Central Concrete, bolted through a l" thick, 6 1/4" flange Column Tower Rinas: 3" X 72" diameter. First section consists of four rings, cast iron, 47 1/2" high with a 3/4" overhanging flange Threshold: placed over the concrete base and flange, cast iron in diamond pattern (18" X 40"), the bottom step measures 10" X 40" Door frame: example of Second Empire/Neo-Grec detail; compares with typical government style as in the War, State, Navy Building in washington, D.C., and in several lifesaving stations. Windows - glass blocks have replaced sash. 1/2"; with wooden frame: 21" X 36". INTERIOR Stairs - Central 36" X 36" shaft carrying an enclosed spiral stairway.
105 steps around a central core made by stacking each step/core Lamp Room - unit. A platform, followed by 21 steps. At the lamp room level, a double metal door opens out onto the lower balcony. Doors are closed by a long bar fitting into brackets. 36" diagonally to the posts. Width between railings is 69" There are no supporting brackets. The railing is simple with vertical balusters 5 1/2" apart and set within horizontal rails 5" below the top rail. From the outside a cornice articulates the overhanging top balcony. Ladder leads to the lens room, iron with 6 steps 24" X 2 1/2". All metal trap door. Lens Room - Standard form with 8 sides, 77" diameter. Lower panels, 43" high, of cast iron. Air vents on every other lower panel with intact fittings. Hatch scuttle to balcony. Roof begins to slope 9" above glass panes, rather than at lintel. Surmountedby ball ventilator and lightning rod.
Balcony simple form, round withcast diamond pattern floor. Simple post with two flat 2" X 5/16" iron rails 7" from bottom and 8 1/4" from top rail. Distance between rails, 29 3/4". Top rail 38 1/2" from deck. Post on hexagonal base. Top rail meets post with a 2 1/2" square base. Attached to this is a round decorative bail with a concave neck growing out of an hexagonal base. Oil House - standard brick oil house with slate roof; set back from lighthouse. Excellent condition. Light Characteristics: Green light set on wedge shaped table; 10 mile range; C5 filament now changed to C8; 373mm reduced to 300mm; Candlepower 6600 reduced to 5016; Single lantern replaced by duplex lantern. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #24 page 3 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY: 1833 - Town of Marblehead buys land from Jos. W. Green and Ephraim Brown for $375 (3 acres, 3 1/2" rods).
Congress appropriated $4500 for the erection of buildings and "small light". 1880- 7/10/1883 1895 - view of tower blocked by cottages. 100' mast with auxiliary light set up. cast iron lighthouse built. Tall, 105' shaft supported by a system of strong bracing on 8 pil ings, 84' high, only one of its kind in New England. Surmounted by lamp room and lens room. Total height above sea level = 130'. Painted White. Dwelling and barn and oil house on property. 1933 - 1980 - painted red, later painted green sandblasted and painted brown at a cost of $100,000. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #F24 page 4 LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE Marblehead Light, Marblehead, possesses integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship as well as significant associations with the development of aids to navigation in Massachusetts.
it is the only light in New England to exhibit a skeletal cast iron form with Second Empire/Neo Grec detail. It meets criteria A and Cof the National Register of Historic Places on the state level as well as survey criteria la, le, 3a, 4a. NPS (7m 10-900 a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page 1 74 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 MAY 4 1987 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review Date/Signaty Cover substait!* Ravler < 50 1. Cleveland LEDGE Light Station substantive Ravier Keeper Keeper Attest 2. Highland Light Station (Cape, CodLight) freeper AelwueBges 6/1578, Itaomni Rogister Attest 3. Gay Head Light iatered in the Iattonel logister froper AilorByen 6/1018, Attest 4.
Edgartown Harbor Light Meimred S 4 Valine fReeper erister AlloueBgun dhtt; Attest 5. Derby Wharf Light Station cered 1n th sat1onal Ioglist Akeeper aelubzan dato, 6. East Chop Light Matered in 10e Be bebcmed. Seedster JReeper delmuBzan 61h 7. Eastern Point Light Station/ 8. Long Island Head Light iatsred in teh Nattonal Bogdster 9. Long Point Light Station 10.
Marblehead Light ficeper AelarByen 2/346, Attest fkaoper AhlreBgun 4/it8, Attest aorsd eonel Keeper AlerPozun 9p0/s Attest Deiersd 1a pat1om1 hodoneifkeeper DilouByur 6/1518, Attest 10 WASO Form - 177 (''R" June 1984) 87001479 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Marblehead Light (Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR) Essex County MASSACHUSETTS X resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: -sample Reviewer's comments: Lrequest Working No.. 4128/821 Fed. Reg. Date: 2/288 Date Due: _ 6/18/87 Action:ÁCCEPT 6-15-82 Iatered in tine RETURN. National Rouleter REJECT- Federal Agency: _ Lappeal -NR decision Recom./Criteria. Reviewer Discipline.
Date .see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: _ technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? yes - no 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one - unaltered altered Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection Status Accessible Present Use Check one -original site moved date 8.
Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name. UTM References Verbal boundary description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national _state local State Historic Preservation Officer signature date title 13.
Other Maps Photographs JOther Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Signed- - Date - Phone: - GPO 918-450 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet MARBLEHEAD LIGHT MARBLEHEAD, MA. Lrghtheses& Ma,TR PHOTO #2 OF4 #24 marbl MARBLEHEAD LIGHT MARBLEHEAD, MA Lghthueses UaiTR PHOTO #30F4 #24 6 Marbl MARBLEHEAD LIGHT MARBLEHEAD, MA #24 Lshtheeses f.May PHOTO #40F4 oil house martlehead it. Missing Core Documentation Property Name County, State Marblehead Light Essex County, Massachusetts Multiple Property Reference Number Name Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR 87001479 The following Core Documentation is missing from this entry: Nomination Form x Photographs (missing #1) USGS Map LIGHTHOU THEMAN C GROUP NOM Tract 100 ftsquarewith right of way for occess to tower+ electric liabt service line tob retained by Lighthouse Serricer 29-42 G +2W 560-1k100 Fr.
H 462.60fL. 1/1- Oil Ho. Coperbolt 3.s02-1ew. 36540W-192956 Gote Feet, 100 50 100 Reference io made to Actof 14'Conqress Pudlic Neal. Office of ahe Supt, of Light houaes Second Pistrict-Chelsea,Mass. MARBLEHEAD LT STATION. TRANSFEROF LIGHTHOUSE RESERVATION TO WAR DERT. 200 ScaleiAs shown Approved 7/1c/35. 15K25 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000282