Rockport takes stewardship of historic lighthouse
Helps to ensure preservation of maritime legacy
The Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse (in the foreground) was built in 1835. Behind it, the twin lighthouses on Thacher Island, which were erected in 1771. (David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)
In a decision fit for a community with lighthouses on its town seal, Rockport and the Thacher Island Association will take over control of a historic lighthouse on Straitsmouth Island, adding to their collection of majestic beacons along the North Shore coast.
The US Department of Interior announced yesterday that it will transfer the Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse to Rockport and the nonprofit preservation association as part of the 2000 National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
Under the act, lighthouses once controlled by the US Coast Guard as outdated navigational tools are transferred to communities and interest groups dedicated to their preservation.
For the Thacher Island Association, the responsibility takes on a new meaning, given the group’s past role in preserving the historic twin lighthouses on Thacher Island, a sister island of Straitsmouth off the coast of Rockport, and its dedication to the mariner life that makes up the town’s fabric.
“That’s what this whole town is about,’’ said Paul St. Germain, the president of the Thacher Island Association for the past 11 years. “I, for one, can see the lights right here from my bedroom window, and I just got fascinated by it, fascinated by history, the maritime life.’’
Ken Salazar, secretary of the Interior department, said, “By transferring ownership of the lighthouse to the Town of Rockport in partnership with the Thacher Island Association, the American people can be assured that this important part of our nation’s rich maritime history will be preserved for future generations.’’
Owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society as a bird and wildlife sanctuary, Straitsmouth is one of a cluster of small islands off the coast of Rockport.
While Thacher has been used as a camping site and kayaking destination, Straitsmouth has mostly been left alone, with no boat docking.
Its brick lighthouse stands 37 feet tall, was built in 1835, and modified over the years. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, it has a keeper’s house and an oil building. And it still flashes a green light every six seconds, a survivor of its maritime past.
“Generally speaking, it’s in fairly decent condition,’’ St. Germain said.
For him and others fascinated by such beacons, it has become a staple of the town’s history, helping to guide the fishermen and mariners who made their way to Rockport Harbor for generations.
For three decades, the association has worked to preserve Thacher Island’s Cape Ann Light Station, which has the pair of 160-foot-high lighthouses, erected in 1771 and now the only operating twin lighthouses in the country.
While the south light is still operated by the Coast Guard for navigation, the north light is operated by Rockport and the association.
The light still functions, maintaining its partnership with its twin.
Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com.
Correction: Because of incorrect information provided by the US Department of the Interior, the name of Thacher Island was misspelled in this story.
