BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETIS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION LIGHTHOUSE INFORMATION FORM MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 PHOTOGRAPH KEY Leslie Fox - MHC - 7/1981 1) Brick Tower, entry and granite piers of former walkway 2) Keeper's house SKETCH MAP Saudy Bay straiteaayth Liyhthouse Rackpo N RECORDED BY: N. Salzman ORGANIZATION:MHC. DATE: 1uly9, 1981 NUMBER 37 HISTORIC NAME: Straightsmouth Island Light TOWN: Rockport LOCATION: In Harbor SE of entrance COUNTY: Essex CODE:_009 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: sixth LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Essex County Courthouse Book 279, p.
68 (1834-Original deed) VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: The nomination includes the lighthouse complex on Straightmouth Island LATLONG:4239'43N705'19W UTM COORDINATE: 19/370/000/4723/900 USGS QUADRANGLE:BOSTON,MA;NH;CT;RI ;ME SCALE: 1:250,000 ACREAGE: 1.8 acres OWNER (S): First Coast Guard District (light) Remainder: Mass. Audubon Society S. Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 STATUS: Unmanned/Active Lighthouse #F37 page 1 LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Straightsmouth Island Light, Rockport SITE DESCRIPTION: Straightsmouth is an island located southeast of the entrance to Rockport Harbor. The east end of the island consists of flat meadow with shrub, wildflowers, and poison ivy, strewn with rocks and jetsam. The shoreline is made up of granite boulders and fissured ledge which is heavily populated by nesting seagulls.
Below the high tide line, the rock is covered with slippery seaweed. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #37 page 2 MAJOR ELEMENTS DESCRIPTION: The site includes a lighthouse (1835) with entry, pilings for a granite walkway, a Keeper's House (1835), oil house (1835), and two outbuildings (18?). EXTERIOR: A white cylindrical tower 37" high with a standard octagonal cast iron lens room and attached gabled entry house. A base of five visible strings of granite blocks 8' high supports the brick tower and entry. Access to the entry is up a six rung iron ladder. The door is modern and a window on the left side is closed up. The roof is surmounted by a ball vent and lightning rod. INTERIOR: The inter ior is brick with traces of whitewash remaining.
Lamp Room: A single window with granite sill and lintel directly above the entry house in the Lamp Room has been bricked up. An iron ladder Teads from below up through a trap door opening into the lens room. Lens Room: Sast aron ctan a sc Standard octagonal cast iron structure. The lower portion is cast iron with a scuttle hatch door opening to the balcony. Balcon y: Railing is composed of three horizontal rails with vertical 30" balusters between the bottom and middle ones. Walkway: An almost intact series of granite posts which supported a covered walkway leads from the house to the light. Light Characteristics: Automated 12VDC flasher, 12c6P1, plastic lens 0il House: Standard gable roofed, brick structure. Small louvre in gable for ventilation. Keeper's Dwelling: Outstanding example with intact 1 1/2 story wood frame, cross gabled plan. Red with white trim.
All windows retain their othic hoods. Side Facade: Facing light - contain series of triple windows: L1 (Level 1) same height, L2 sidelights lower. At the corner junction with the main body of the house is a one story porch, 1 bay by 2 bays; its decorative elements are intact and elaborate; junction of post and cornice contains spandrels formed of an open circle flanked by concave scrolls. Porch posts have pierced quatrefoils, framed by right angled chamfered posts and flanked by elaborate scroll patterns of a different pattern than those at the roof of the porch. At L2 is a small wall dormer with 2/2 window; gables throughout exterior are ornamented with original and elaborate designs. This facade is balanced by a one bay porch on the right and on che lett by a projecting one story rear ell. Rear Facade: similar treatment. 1 bay X 1 bay rear porch has elaborate ornamen tation.
single window at Ll has a Gothic tab hood. The L2 gable is flush with the wall area contains a single window. Other elevations contain one window on each floor. Chimney is located at intersection of gables. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #37 page 3 INTERIOR: OUTBUILD INGS Not accessible, windows boarded. 1) smal1 brick gable structure attached to side of house alongside the small rear porch. small frame gable structure with window, rear chimney, asphalt shingle roof. Simple cross piece with board acting as kingpost (as on Keeper's Dwelling). LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #37 page 4 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY: 11/28/1834 - Aaron and Solomon Poole sold land to federal government for $600. brick tower erected. standard Gothic Revival L-shaped keeper's house built, 1 1/2 stories with Italianate trim.
1835- oil house built, stone with slate roof (10' X 12") storage house (attached to house) 18?? - frame shed beh ind house built. 6/7/1941 - Glenn Wilson purchases all but Lighthouse, $3050. 19?? - island acquired by Massachusetts Audubon Society as a sanctuary; Coast Guard retains tower. 1982 - 1985 - light tower painted; new windows and door installed. light converted to solar power. LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSACHUSETTS THEMATIC GROUP NOMINATION Lighthouse #37 page 5 LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE Straightsmouth Island Light possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship as well as associations with the development of aids to nav igation in Massachusetts. Dating from the 1830s, it provides an early example of a lighthouse complex preserving many unique elements such as the Gothic Revival trim of the Keeper's house and the granite piers which supported the original walkway.
Although the outbuildings are in poor condition, the complex meets criteria A and C of the NRHP on the state level as well as survey criteria la, le, 2c. "NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 Far NPS use anly received MAY 4 1987 date antered Page 274 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review {1. Minot's Ledge Light iatered i in the Matelo l Bogdster troper Date/Signature AlameBgunt, Attest Nauset Beach Light Bogi.ster. fkeeper Aelrubgan e/57 Attest Jatsred in thae #3. Ned Point Light Matlomel Register fakeeper delaue Bagan aho7oi Attest Bntered in tbe 14.
Newburyport Harbor Light Mstione] notdater Jkeeper AilmusByen6/018 Attest *95. Newburyport Harbor Front Range Light Okeeper Tbered debree Byen 6157 Matiomel Regiater Attest £6. Nobska Point Light StationJntered 1m fkeeper deleuByun6latk National Registar Attest 17. Race Point Light Station frkeeper Delue Byenoletk, Cr pei Ps "BOX 48. Sankaty Head Light Hatered 1m aeaon a etotor Keoper tuena Byuyofite Attest 19. Scituate Light Mn blioei Rogistar Keeper AelureByen 6/5 Attest 20.
Straightsmouth Island Light *wawer Jkeeper AelouByen 6/15/87 SOSE NNOX Attest 87001487 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Straightsmouth Island Light (Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR) Essex County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: J sample Reviewer's comments: -request -appeal Working No. 428130/ Fed. Reg. Date: 212/82 Date Due: - la/18/87 Action: LACCÉPT _ 6-15-87 -RETURN. -REJECT Federal Agency: _ USCG 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 Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance J 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 title date 13. Other - Maps - Photographs -Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to - Signed Date _ Phone: _ Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet by Berkey LIGHTHOUSES OF MASSA THEMATIC GROUP NOM Shaitsmouth STRAIGHTSMOUTH ISLAND LIGH ROCKPORT, MA #38 PHOTO #IOFZ 320U LIGHTHOUSES OF MASS THEMATIC GROUP NOI.
JULY 1981 Prestige Print by Berkey raitomouth STRAIGHTSMOUTH ISLANO LIC KOCKPORT, MA #38 PHOTO #20F2 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000282