Derby Wharf Light

Derby Wharf Light

Location	Salem, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°30′59.6″N 70°53′0.9″W
Tower
Constructed	1871
Construction	Brick
Automated	1970s
Height	4 m (13 ft)
Shape	Square
Markings	White Black
Heritage	National Register of Historic Places listed place
Fog signal	none
Light
First lit	1871
Deactivated	1977–1983
Focal height	25 feet (7.6 m)
Lens	5th order Fresnel lens 1871-1906 4th order 1906-1910 6th order 1910-1970s Solar-powered optic (current)
Range	4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi)
Characteristic	Fl R 6sec
Derby Wharf Light Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
MPS	Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR
NRHP reference No.	87001466[1]
Added to NRHP	June 15, 1987

Derby Wharf Light Station is a historic lighthouse on Derby Wharf in Salem, Massachusetts that is within the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.[2][3]

It was built in 1871 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.[3][1] The United States Coast Guard Light List[2] description is "White square tower. Maintained by the U.S. Park Service". The actual light is 25 feet (7.6 m) above Mean High Water. Its red light is visible for 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi).

History

The Light Station was originally built in 1871 and used an oil lamp shining through a Fresnel lense. For many years, Derby Wharf Light had one of only 17 sixth-order Fresnel lenses in the United States. Today, the light is solar powered, and the light is a red flash every six seconds.

See also

• Derby Waterfront District
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Salem, Massachusetts
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
2. Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2010. p. 83.
3. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Massachusetts". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.