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Sankaty, MassachusettsHarbour Lights Limited Edition #250 Nantucket
Island once teemed with whaling ships and bustled with commerce as
numerous ships navigated the nearby waters. But this island posed a
great threat to mariners unfamiliar with its hidden perils. After
sailors discovered the David South Shoal, the Lighthouse Board
commissioned a sentinel to stand atop the high cliffs, marking the
dangerous spot. Established
in 1850, Sankaty Head Light became a model of architectural strength.
The Lighthouse Board judged it as one of the best and most solidly built
lighthouses in the country. In fact, the keepers made only minor repairs
to this well-built sentinel over its years of service. The
cylindrical tower, with its red bad and black lantern room, held a 2nd-
order Fresnel lens. The distinctive beacon flashed every one-and-a-half
and three minutes from a focal plane height of 158 feet. Local mariners
were so impressed with the penetrating light that they sometimes called
Sankaty the "Rocket Light" or "Blazing Star." The
large, efficient lamp burned very little oil, the equivalent of a
smaller harbor light's-worth, yet was one of the brightest beacons of
its time. The
first keeper to tend this sentinel took his post with no specific
knowledge of lighthouses. But he did have 25 years experience as a
merchant sea captain arid truly understood the importance of his duties.
Armed with only a brief, hastily written page of instructions from the
lantern installer and a little ingenuity, he set about keeping the flame
illuminated with the help of his two assistants. The
original keeper's quarters held only one family, so the two assistants
had to journey 7 miles, during all weather conditions, to stand their
4-hour post each night and to complete their daily chores. Workers
completed larger quarters five years later, much to the relief of the
keeper who lived in constant fear that his assistants could not come in
time if an emergency were to occur. As
Nantucket Island slowly transitioned from heavy commerce to thriving
tourism, the lighthouse became a popular attraction, drawing many
sightseers clamoring to view the impressive lens and breathtaking view
from the top of the tower. The lightkeepers even widened the small
opening to the lantern room so that women with hoop skirts could pass
through. As
time and technology progressed, electricity replaced oil, a revolving
beacon glowed in place of the Fresnel lens and a ranch style house
supplanted the larger keeper dwelling. Erosion tore away at the sandy
bluffs facing the ocean and residents began to worry about the future of
this beloved beacon. In 1994, the Coast Guard decommissioned Sankaty
Head Light and removed all the buildings after a powerful storm advanced
the ocean to within a mere 110 feet. As
preservationist rallied to move the lighthouse back from the threatening
waters, Historic Massachusetts, Inc. added Sankaty to the list of 10
Most Endangered Historic Properties. A special group named SOS, Save Our
Sankaty, formed to raise money and public interest. If you would like
more information, please contact: Save Our Sankaty, P.O. Box 814,
Siaconset, MA 02564. Our
sculpture depicts Sankaty lighthouse as it appeared during an earlier
era of the sentinel's history. The larger keepers dwelling is home to
three families. A tricycle pulls double-duty as it pulls a child's
wagon. The porch table acts as a pottery bench while one of the
inhabitants prepares to plant flowers. A lone starfish awaits discovery
on the sandy beach below.
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