Deer Island Lighthouse
Winthrop, Massachusetts
Built in 1832
Location:
South of Deer Island, which now houses a water treatment plant, the nation's second largest, and is part of the Boston Harbor Islands park.
Latitude: 42° 20' 24" N
Longitude: 70° 57' 17" W
Historic Stories:
| The lighthouse was built in 1832, then rebuilt in 1890 as a four level cast iron super structure that included the living quarters. |
Deer Island Caisson Construction |
In 1913, one of the Assistant Keepers, Joseph McCabe had a piano delivered to the lighthouse to keep his family amused. Three years later in 1916, upon returning from setting up his wedding invitations with his fiancé, he found his boat frozen from ice that surrounded the island and proceeded to walk across the ice towards the lighthouse. He slipped and fell into the freezing waters and drowned.
During the days of prohibition, the keepers were illegally brewing malt liquor at the lighthouse. Upon an unannounced inspection, one of the assistant keepers, holding a crock of their new batch tried to hide from the inspector. As he fell over a cable, the crocked smashed into pieces and the assistant was fired on the spot.
By 1982 the lighthouse was so badly deteriorated that it was decided to completely replace the lighthouse with a white fiberglass tower, which was the first of its type in the country. From complaints of the locals that the tower blended in too much with the background, the current brown fiberglass tower was used to replace the white tower.
Places to Visit Nearby:
Deer Island itself features over 5 miles of landscaped trails for bikers and joggers alike, with plenty of views of Boston harbor and the airport.
Views of the lighthouse can be seen from a distance from Deer Island from one of its trails.
Tours from boat cruises listed below all pass by the lighthouse.
Contact Info:
349 Lincoln Street
Hingham MA 02043
Phone: (781) 740 4290
Local Harbor Tours For Visitors
Boat cruises below offer many types of cruises. None provide tours specifically to the lighthouse, but may pass by as part specific cruises, charters, and other types of excursions.
Boston Harbor Cruises
One Long Wharf
Boston, Mass. 02110
(617) 223-8666
(877) 733-925
Massachusetts Bay Lines
Harbor Cruises along Boston’s Historic Waterfront
60 Rowes Wharf
Boston, Massachusetts, 02110
(617) 542-8000
Fax (617) 951-0700
email: info@massbaylines.com
Books to Explore
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: This 300-page book provides special human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses in the southern New England states, along with plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions and tours. Look inside! |
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Available in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
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The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships: In the early 1900s, New England shipbuilders constructed the world’s largest sailing ships amid social and political reforms. These giants of sail were built to carry massive quantities of coal and building supplies and measured longer than a football field! The stories of the "Axe Fight" and "Fire on the Captain's Boat" on the links above are some of many events described in this book. |
