Straitsmouth Island - Rockport, Massachusetts - Massachusetts Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The "Straitsmouth Island" historical marker is at the northeast end of Bearskin Neck where the rocky jetty heads east in Rockport, Massachusetts. Its vantage point presents a view across Rockport Harbor to the island about 1.25 miles to the east. The sign features a brief background on the succession of the island's three lighthouses guiding mariners to the harbor entrance since 1835. Five photographs illustrate the informational plaque: a panoramic view from 1906 spans the top edge and pairs of color and black and white images flank the left and right sides respectively. The main body of text reads:

Straitsmouth Island was first sighted in 1614
by Captain John Smith. He also spotted nearby
Thacher and Milk Islands and named
all three the Turks' Heads.

Lighting the Way
Built in 1834, the island's first lighthouse was 19 feet tall.
Its construction was spurred by the increasing number of ships
salling to Pigeon Cove for cargoes of stone from Rockport's
burgeoning granite industry. Marking the entrance to Rockport
Harbor, the light also warned mariners of the
Dry Salvages reef and Avery's Ledge.

Changing Ownership
The U.S. Lighthouse Service operated the beacon from
1834 until 1915, when the Service was absorbed by the newly
formed U.S. Coast Guard. In 1941, the island facilities were
declared surplus by the federal government and sold to a private
party. Eventually, Straitsmouth was bought by famed naval
architect William Francis Gibbs, who designed the World War II
Liberty ships as well as the liner SS United States. Upon Gibb's
death in 1967, his family donated the island to
the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

More about the marker:

Upper left: A full-color photo shows an aerial view of the island looking to the southwest. Caption: "The majority of the 29-acre island is owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, which maintains it as a wildlife sanctuary. In 2010, the town of Rockport acquired from the Coast Guard the lighthouse and the 1.8 acres it stands on at the southeastern tip of the island."

Lower left: A full-color photo shows a ground level view of the current lighthouse looking to the southwest. Caption: "Today's light and foghorn are solar powered and continue to be maintained by the Coast Guard as official aids to navigation."

Upper right: An undated black and white photo shows the second lighthouse and four men -- one atop the light and three along a boardwalk leading to the structure -- as seen from onshore looking to the north. Caption: "In 1851, a 24-foot octagonal tower was built closer to the southeast end of the island. By 1857, a sixth-order Fresnel lens was installed. Its blinking white light was replaced in 1932 with a green light that flashed every 6 seconds."

Lower right: An undated black and white photo shows the current lighthouse as seen from the same vantage point as the photo above. Caption: "Still standing today, the third and final 37-foot-tall lighthouse was built in 1896. It included a 314-foot walkway supported by granite blocks."

At the bottom left: "Straitsmouth Light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 15, 1987."

At the bottom right: "The United States of America donated this property to the town of Rockport for preservation and public use through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. This program is administered by the National Park Service."

Not shown on the marker: The small island site is accessible by boat. Visit the Thatcher Island Association web page for a self-guided walking tour trail map and "Straitsmouth Island Flyover" video.

For a comprehensive history of the Straitsmouth Island lighthouses, see the Lighthouse Friends web site.

Agency Responsible for Placement: National Park Service Year Placed: Undated County: Essex City/Town Name: Rockport Relevant Web Site: [Web Link] Agency Responsible for Placement (if not in list above): Not listed

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