Newburyport Harbor Light (Plum Island Light House)

Newburyport Harbor Light (Plum Island Light House)

Newburyport Harbor Light (Plum Island Light House)

At the northern tip of Plum Island in Newburyport, Massachusetts is the Newburyport Harbor Light- or as many people know it Plum Island Light (not to be confused with Plum Island Light on Long Island in New York, or the Plum Beach Light in Rhode Island, or the Newburyport Lighthouse which is now a restaurant). Marking the mouth of the Merrimack River and entrance to Newburyport Harbor the thirty-five foot tower holds an occulting green light that eclipses every 15 seconds.

An easily accessible lighthouse, you can typically pull right up and park then walk the grounds in the off season- in fact you might be the only ones out there on a cold day. In the summer it's a quite a bit busier, there's a popular beach just across the way. Owned and operated by the Town of Newburyport the lighthouse offers open houses periodically through the Summer months (every 3rd Sunday May to September 1-4 was the 2019 schedule). 

First lit in 1788, the lighthouse replaced bonfires built by locals on Plum Island Beach that had guided ships into port until that time. Plum Island Light was the 13th lighthouse to be built in the United States and the first keeper, Abner Lowell, was appointed by George Washington. Abner kept watch at the light for 20 years and was succeeded by his son Lewis Lowell, who was replaced his son Joseph in 1823. All together the Lowell family (father, son & grandson) watched over the light for 47 years. 

Originally illuminated by whale oil lanterns, the lighthouse went electric in 1927 and was automated in the 1950's. Storms and shifting sands has forced the light to move position several times over the years and the current tower dates to 1898. North across the mouth of the Merrimack River is Salisbury Beach, which has it's own unique navigational marker "Ben Butler's Toothpick"