Cape Cod Lighthouses
 Beacons of Hope Located some 25 miles from the mainland is a stretch of land referred to by local residents as the "narrow land." Cape Cod is a peninsula extending like a bent arm over some 72 miles directly out into the Atlantic, bidding defiance to the mighty ocean. Shifting sands along its back side from Monomoy Island north to Provincetown - nearly 50 miles - is one of the most treacherous stretches of coast line along the East coast of America. The myriad shoals that lie along the coast have consumed an undetermined number of vessels over the last 400 years, rightly earning its moniker, "Ocean Graveyard."
The year was 1797 when the Highland Lighthouse was constructed along Cape Cod's outer waters. Also known as Cape Cod Light, this would be the first of 18 to be built over the next hundred years. Highland Light was of particular importance because it was the first lighthouse seen by ships approaching from Europe, thus offering hope for weary travelers. But as each passing year brought storms and pounding waves that rapidly changed the very complexion of the narrows, it seemed as if the permanency of the desperately needed lighthouses was in jeopardy.
Lighthouses flourished and disappeared on Cape Cod over the next 150 years. Truro actually has two lighthouses. Highland, now famous for having been moved 450 feet inland from the eroding cliffs is once again the brightest beacon on the east coast. The first set of brick towers lasted until 1892, when all new lighthouses were then constructed with movable wood structures. Lighthouses across the eastern seaboard have been both victims of and stalwarts against the ferocious sea. And as the sea continues its reshaping of Cape Cod, the need to move lighthouses to less precarious locations will continue.
The magnificence of the Atlantic Ocean has taught us many lessons÷one of which is to always be prepared to adapt to the moods with which the ocean tries to change our landscape. We do not own this land, but rather we temporarily occupy it and should respect appreciate our time with it.
| Light House | Location | | Brant Point Light | Nantucket | | Three Sisters of Nauset Lights | North Eastham | | Nauset Beach Light | North Eastham | | Race Point Light | Provincetown | | Long Point Light | Provincetown | | Chatham Light | Chatham | | Nobska Light | Woods Hole | | Sankaty Head Light | Nantucket | | West Chop Lighthouse | Vinyard Haven | | Gay Head Lighthouse | Aquinnah | | Great Point Light | Nantucket | | Monomoy Point Light | Chatham | | Cape Cod (Highland) Light North | Truro | | East Chop (Telegraph Hill) Light | Oak Bluffs |
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