Cape Ann Light

Cape Ann Light is a lighthouse in Essex County, Massachusetts. Massachusetts has 81 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 19 of them in Essex County.

It was built in 1861, in the Civil War era, making it the 15th oldest of the 50 in Massachusetts with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 124 feet tall (the tallest of 36 measured in Massachusetts); its light sits 166 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl R 5s (a red flash every 5 seconds), with a range of about 17 nautical miles.

Status check, 2026-11: This is the south tower of the Thacher Island twin lights (station set up in 1771, current granite towers from 1861). It is a National Historic Landmark, and the two towers are the only operating twin lighthouses in the US. It carries the heritage designation National Register of Historic Places contributing property. It stands at 42.6368° N, 70.5749° W.

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