Tarpaulin Cove Lighthouse
Naushon Island, Massachusetts
Built in 1817
Location:
Eastern side of Naushon Island. Privately owned. Grounds and lighthouse are off limits to the public. However, the Cuttyhunk Historical Society offers an annual tour to the lighthouse each summer.
Latitude: 41° 28' 08" N
Longitude: 70° 45' 27" W
Historic Stories:
Long before the current Tarpaulin Cove lighthouse was built, an early navigational light was built by a tavern keeper named Zaccheus Lumbert, in 1759, for seamen and local mariners traveling through Vineyard Sound, who would often stop by his tavern on the island for a meal or to stay overnight. This light was considered one of the earliest on the east coast shoreline and was maintained and paid for mostly by Lumbert and those that came after him for nearly six decades.
 1818 Construction Courtesy US Coast Guard |
When the lighthouse was built in 1817, John Hayden became its first keeper. |
He had previously serviced the locally constructed lantern at Tarpaulin Cove Lighthouse for over 25 years.
Keeper Frank Davis saw the distress signal from the Schooner Tanzy Bitters, which had caught fire and quickly made haste to rescue two men who were badly burned from the incident. As his wife tried to tend to the men, Davis headed out to Martha’s Vineyard to find a doctor.
| By the time Davis and help had returned, the men had succumbed to their injuries and had died at the keeper’s house. |  1891 Construction Courtesy US Coast Guard |
The original tower was replaced and put on higher ground after complaints from the keepers, and a 1,200-pound fog bell was added, which was later swept away during the hurricane of 1938.
Places to Visit:
There are not any designated public tours that go past this remote lighthouse, however, some boats leaving out of New Bedford or Woods Hole may provide charter service out to the light. The area is off limits to visitors as it is protected. It remains a private residence. For those who are comfortable with private charter services, Island Girl Excrusions provides various charter tours from Edgartown or Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard to Nantucket, the Elizabeth Islands, and a special Tarpaulin Cove Treasures excursion to view the lighthouse.
| The Cuttyhunk Historical Society offers an annual open house to the lighthouse usually in mid summer. |  |
They also staff a maritime museum of the Elizabeth Islands during the summer season. Cuttyhunk Island is the last of the Elizabeth Islands that is mostly accessible to the public, whereas the other islands are private, except Penikese Island. It is a great place to relax and step back in time as little has changed.
The Mass Audubon Society offers a full day Penikese/Cuttyhunk dual island tour and a full day Cuttyhunk Tour. Each tour will include naturalist lead excursions for visitors to enjoy these islands unique natural and cultural history. Visitors will discover the abandoned Leper Colony and active bird colonies of Leach’s Storm Petrel and Terns, and the quaint village, harbor, and scenic views from 150’ high Lookout Hill on Cuttyhunk Island.
Contact Info:
Cuttyhunk Historical Society
23 Tower Hill Rd
Cuttyhunk, MA 02713
Phone: (508) 984-4611
Books to Explore
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: This book provides special human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses on the southern coast, with plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions and tours. Look inside! |
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Available as an eBook, hardcover, and in paperback. Look inside! |
In the early 1900s, New England shipbuilders constructed the world’s largest sailing ships amid social and political reforms to carry massive quantities of coal and building supplies, and measured longer than a football field! This book, balanced with plenty of color and vintage images, showcases the historical accounts that followed these mighty ships, including competitions, battling destructive storms, acts of heroism, and their final voyages. You'll find many of these events occurred while sailing around the dangerous shoals of Cape Cod and the islands during stormy weather. |