The lighthouse gets a fresh coat of paint in 2012
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Location | Cape Cod |
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Coordinates | 42°3′44.4″N 70°14′34.9″W / 42.062333°N 70.243028°W |
Year first constructed | 1816 |
Year first lit | 1876 (current structure) |
Automated | 1972 |
Foundation | Natural/emplaced |
Construction | Iron plate with brick interior |
Tower shape | Conical |
Markings / pattern | White with black lantern |
Height | 45 feet (14 m) |
Focal height | 41 feet (12 m) above mean sea level |
Original lens | Fourth-order Fresnel lens |
Current lens | VRB-25 |
Range | 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi) |
Characteristic | Fl W 10s |
Admiralty number | J0386 |
ARLHS number | USA-680 |
USCG number |
1-485 |
Race Point Light Station
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1911 postcard
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Location | Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Massachusetts |
Coordinates | 42°3′44.4″N 70°14′41″W / 42.062333°N 70.24472°WCoordinates: 42°3′44.4″N 70°14′41″W / 42.062333°N 70.24472°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1876 |
Architectural style | Italianate |
MPS | Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR |
NRHP Reference # | 87001482 |
Added to NRHP | June 15, 1987 |
1-485
Race Point Light is a historic lighthouse on Cape Cod, in Provincetown, Massachusetts; it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The original tower, first illuminated in 1816, was replaced in 1876 with the current 45-foot tall iron-plated tower and a new keeper's dwelling. The American Lighthouse Foundation operates the property and rents out two buildings for overnight stays. The actual light is maintained by the Coast Guard. The site is reached by walking about 45 minutes over sand; with a National Park Service Oversand Permit, a four-wheel-drive vehicle can be used.
Race Point Light was first established in 1816, the third light on Cape Cod (after Highland Light (1797) and Chatham Light (1808). The original light was a 25 feet (7.6 m) rubblestone tower that featured one of the earliest rotating beacons, which distinguished it from others on Cape Cod. In 1858 the light got a fourth order Fresnel lens and, in 1874, a second keeper's quarters.
In 1876, after significant deterioration of the original tower, it was replaced with a 45-foot tall cast iron tower lined with brick. The Fresnel lens was installed into the new tower. The original keeper's stone house was removed and replaced with one made of wood. Race Point Light was electrified in 1957. The larger keeper's house was removed in 1960 and the other was updated. The light was automated in 1972.