Coastal Lighthouses: Ten Pound Island Light Station - Gloucester, MA

Ten Pound Island Light Station
Gloucester, MA

GPS: N42° 36.110; W070° 39.931

Short Description:

Ten Pound Island Light Station is located on a small island at the eastern end of Gloucester Harbor.

Long Description:

Ten Pound Island Light Station was established in 1821 to mark Gloucester's inner harbor. The conical cast iron tower replaced the original stone tower in 1881. The tower is 30 feet tall and topped with a fifth-order lantern. Other buildings include a granite oil house (1821) and a keeper's dwelling. Ten Pound Island Light Station was decommissioned in 1956 and replaced by a modern optic on top of  an old bell tower on the island. The same optic was subsequently moved to a skeleton tower on the island. The original Fresnel lens was removed from the lantern and is currently on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Maine.

The light station can be viewed from the Gloucester waterfront. 

Data from Wikipedia:

Year first constructed 1821

Year first lit 1881
Automated 1934
Deactivated 1956 - 1989
Foundation Brick
Construction Stone and cast iron
Tower shape Conical tower
Markings / pattern White with black lantern
Height 39 feet (12 m)
Focal height 57 feet (17 m)
Original lens 5th order Fresnel lens
Current lens 250 millimetres (9.8 in) lens
Range 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi)
Characteristic Isophase Red 6 seconds
Fog signal Original: Bell
Now: Horn: 2 every 20 seconds
Admiralty number J0284
ARLHS number USA-839
USCG number 1-9895