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. Long Island Head Light 2. Closer view of tower SKETCH MAP Lighthouse Boston Harbor Tort Strond Nubble Channel Lona ksland Hobpital RECORDED BY: L. Fox ORGANIZATION: MHC DATE: September 1981 NUMBER 22 HISTORIC NAME: Long Island Head Light TOWN: Boston LOCATION: Larg Island, near Fort Strong-Bosto COUNTY: Suffolk CODE: 025 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 8 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Suffolk County Registry of Deeds (Book 6, p. 152) (Comm. of Massachusetts to U.S.T VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: The nomination is confined to the light and the 50 sq. ft. around it. LAT./LONG.
: LAT 40°19'48"N LONG 70°57'30"W UTM COORDINATE: 19/3.38/800/4687/800 USGS QUADRANGLE : BOSTON, MA:NH:CT ;RI ;ME SCALE: 1: 250,000 ACREAGE: 50' x 50' (.1A) OWNER (S): First Coast Guard District 408 Atlantic Avenue Boston, MA 02210 STATUS: Unmanned/Active LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATIÓN Lighthouse # 22 page 1 Long Island Head Light, Boston SITE DESCRIPTION: The Long Island Head Light, Boston, marks the President Roads, at the north entrance to the Nantasket Roads, and is an Inner Harbor Light for Boston Harbor. It was, in fact, known for many years as the Inner Harbor Light, and was_in two other locations before it was built finally on the highest point of land at the north end of Long Island. The World War I Fort Strong's remains lie a short distance from the tower, revealing its strategic location.
Access to the island is made over a bridge from Wollaston, a town long since incorporated into the city of Quincy, but is highly restricted due to the city's prison hospital located in the center of the island. Small one-lane roads lead through the hospital buildings to the far end of the island and the lighthouse. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse # 22 page 2 MAJOR ELEMENTS: Only the tower (1819) and entranceway remain, although the immediate area exist. is covered by a thick underbrush and the oil house may still Exterior - The white brick 1819 tower has a small brick gable-roofed entranceway with single window, now blocked up with a plywood The wooden eaves of the entryway strongly resemble those of many New England oil houses. A stone step leads to the interior through a solid steel door, obviously not original.
Inside the walls, floor and ceiling are all brick, with a thin wood moulding that runs around the four sides of the ceiling. Tower - The cylindrical tower has four windows with wooden frames set slightly into the brick wall. One 2/2 window is located on the inland side, above the entryway and the other three face Boston Harbor and are all on different levels of the tower. The rema ins of a grounding strap can be found on the northwest side. decorative four course brick stepped corbel table runs around the tower directly beneath the Italianate iron arches that support the balcony, and is the only aesthetic feature in the otherwise simple structure. Balcony - The circular iron balcony is 50" wide and is made up of segments fitted together.
Ornate cast iron molded balusters (Italianate) like those at other Massachusetts 19th century lights are connected to one another by a simple flat strip near the finial and a thin round pole of iron at the base. An iron half door with a hood above it leads into the lens room. Lens Room - The ten-sided lens room has five intact aluminum air vents, situated within the exterior wall. the metal conical roof typical of others, in that it is made of the same number of triangular segments as there are windows. A black metal ball-shaped air vent tops the roof, and above that extends the lightning rod. The ten single-pane windows of the lens room are visible from all sites, and are taller than most others. That is, the metal wall up to the windows is quite short in comparisor with other lens rooms. The windows, therefore, offer a greater light range. They measure 26 1/2" by 47 1/2".
INTERIOR Tower - Another set of iron doors, measur ing 34" X 75", separate the brick entranceway and the tower itself. A three course brick arch is located directly above the doors. The floor of the tower is brick and a staircase of twenty-three iron steps circle upwards to a platform. Stairs - From this platform, another twenty-seven steps leads to a second metal semicircular platform which comprises the lamproom. Each iron stair measures 8" on the narrow end, 10 1/2" on the center and 13" at the widened, and all are 32" long from side to side. A wooden hand-cut railing runs the length of the stair. Windows - The four windows in the tower are virtually the same size. middle one is 24" X 40" ', and the top window is 24 3/4" X 40 1/2". All four have a three course brick arch above them and are set into the wall of the tower with granite posts, lintels and sills.
Slightly curved outward, the sills measure 10 3/4" at the center and 11 1/2" at each end. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse # 22 page 3 Lens Room - A straight eleven-rung iron ladder leads directly up to the lens room which has been stripped of many of its original technological parts, such as the smoke vent above the lantern, and, the original air vents. The walls were probably at one time covered with vertical wooden sheathing but the exterior metal wall has since been exposed. An automatic plastic lens has replaced the old. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #22 page 4 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY: 1819 - referred to as the Inner Harbor Light. Present tower built. 1845 - Keeper Charles Beck ran a signal system for pilots in Boston Harbor. He would hoist up a black ball to indicate that more pilots were needed to guide ships in.
1918 - intensity of light was increased to 1700 candlepower and the tower was repa inted. 1942 - candlepower reduced to 2000; 56-watt bulbs inside a frosted lamp were installed; and the tower was painted olive for camouflage. 1945 - candlepower was increased to 5,500. New lamps installed. 1947 - tower repainted white. 1954 - light was extinguished from April to June and from October to December. 1966 - the 3 1/2 Order Fresnel lens gave 14,000 candlepower; had 120 volt, 250 watt daylight control, called a Sauter Time Switch. 1979 - CoastGuard reported water damage, bricks swelling, rotting balcony, rail ings and window frames. 1982 - Long Island Head Light extinguished as an active aid to navigation. 1985 - Light re-established, converted to solar power and relit, October, 1985; light tower repaired and repainted at the same time.
LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #LL page 5 LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE The Long Island Head Light, Boston, possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship as well as important associations with the dev el opment of aids to navigation in Massachusetts. Erected in 1817, 1t 15 an excellent example of an early brick tower with unique architectural detail such as triple courses over the windows and door and ringing the exterior. Historically, it is especially important as the major light marking Boston's Inner Harbor. Long Island Light meets criteria A and C of the NRHP on the (NPs- i 100000 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 4 987 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review < 50 Cover Substait:"* Revlew 1. Cleveland LEDGE Light Station substantive Revien Keeper Date/Signaty Vm A Keeper YAS/ps 2. Highland Light Station (CapeCodLight) In telome5. Bogl.ster 3. Gay Head Light 4. Edgartown Harbor Light 5. Derby Wharf Light Station Scered 18 sational 1 Attest fukeeper AuenueBya 6/1570, Attest matered in tae Okeéper/ Hatlonel Boulater AuloreByan 6/1518, Attest P fReeper egi ster AulouaBgan 61018, Attest fKeeper Aulma Bzan dnte, 6. East Chop Light iatered in tiso le tlamad Dagister 7. Eastern Point Light Station 1A8-2 8. Long Island Head Light hatared in tae Meitomad Rogister 9.
Long Point Light Station Holssred Wauoenl Rogds JReoper delmuBgan 61to AReeper AllareBayen 1/398, Attest Aeoper AuluruBzun 4/518 Attest Keeper Serpozen 928/5; 10. Marblehead Light Attest Deiersd Mat3oim1 Ingdeveinf Keeper TalaueByur 61818, Attest 8700 1481 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Long Island Head Light (Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR) Suffolk County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Jsample Reviewer's comments: _request Working No. H28/82 Fed. Reg. Date: 2/2/88 Date Due: - 6/18/87 Enteaad 3o Action: _ACCEPT (-15-87 Latlr SogisterTRE REJECT Federal Agency: US CG.
-DOT Lappeal LJ 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 oneparagraph) 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 Other 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 AUG 1981 Long Island Head Light BOsTOR #22 hghthesses of Ma.y TR Photo #/OFZ land Light LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION LongIsland Head Light Boston #22 Light husesa May Th Photo #20F2 AUG 1931 Long LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000282