Massachusetts Oldest Lighthouse Was Also the First Lighthouse in the U.S.

As you may already know, Massachusetts has quite the rich history. The state has several landmarks that date back centuries, some of those even before the U.S. even became a country. The Bay State has its fair share of lighthouses as well. But did you know that Massachusetts oldest lighthouse was not just the first in the state, but also the very first lighthouse in the U.S.?

Perhaps it isn't the sexiest piece of history when it comes to the U.S., or Massachusetts for that matter. But make no mistake, in the early 1700s, Boston had the busiest port in North America as Great Britain was trading manufactured goods for Colonial America's raw materials.

At the time, there needed to be something that guided trading ships to the port and with this, a light turned on the notion of a lighthouse being built to do just that (pun intended). It would be the very first lighthouse in Massachusetts, thus becoming the first in the country, as well. It was Boston Light on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor.

Boston Light was built in 1716, and it was first lit up with candle and oil lamps on September 17th of that year. As years went on, there would be considerable damage to the lighthouse caused by fires and severe weather. But it would be during the Revolutionary War when the lighthouse suffered the most damage. As the British were leaving Boston in 1776, they set explosives off at Boston Light, leaving the lighthouse at Little Brewster Island in ruins.

It wouldn't be until 1783 when Boston Light was reconstructed by the commonwealth of Massachusetts. It would stand 75 feet tall with fish oil lamps and mortared rubblestone.

Then in 1964, Boston Light was named as a National Historic Landmark, and then joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

The lighthouse had stayed manned, thanks to an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy in 1989. Despite being automated in 1998, the lighthouse stayed manned until 2023, with the last person stationed there being Sally Snowman.

Today, the National Park Service and other companies offer a cruise tour of all the Boston Harbor lighthouses. Boston Light can still be seen shining today from Little Brewster Island.