Ned's Point Light

Ned's Point Light. Historically Speaking .... , 1835 , Congressman John Quincy Adams, representing the Plymouth County District, recommended to the government that a lighthouse be built in Mattapoisett., 1837 , Barnabus Hiller sold four acres at Ned's point to the government for $240, and the United States Lighthouse Service authorized the building of a thirty-five foot tower with a bird-cage shaped lantern. The 32 cantilevered hand-hewn steps were made of granite quarried in Mattapoisett. A keeper's house, barn and oil house were also constructed., 1838 , In March, eleven two-tiered lamps, using whale oil, were lit for the first time. The lamps produced a white light., 1857 , A Firth Order Fresnel lens, imported from France, was installed in the lantern., 1888 , The keeper's dilapidated stone house was replaced with a wood-frame house., 1896 , A new octagonal lantern and deck were installed., 1923 , The light was automated. With a sextant, mariners can use the altitude of the optic to determine their distance from land., 1952 , The town of Mattapoisett obtained title to Ned's Point Lighthouse Reservation for $3,000 and renamed it Veterans of Mattapoisett Memorial Park. The U.S. Coast Guard retains the tower and .17 of an acre as well as a right of way,, 1961 , The automated light was converted to a 6 second isophase, flashing 3 seconds on and 3 seconds off. The light is visible for 12 nautical miles., 1988 , Formal approval was received to list Ned's Point Lighthouse in the National Register of Historic Places., 1993 , U.S. Coast Guard Flotilla 67, First District Northern Region, adopted Ned's Point Light, the first flotilla in the country to do so. The Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation Team at Woods Hole is the primary service unit., Dedication Ned's Point Light House Summer 2001, Given to the town of Mattapoisett by our family , who joyfully recall many walks from Crescent Beach , to the lighthouse for summer picnics and who also , know its comforting presence as a silent sentry when , boating in surrounding waters., Donated by Edith I. and Paul E. Milott, Jr., Mattapoisett Historical Commission, 2001 , Photos from Mattapoisett Historical Society , Drawing by Carol Fletcher , Layout by David Gould, Village Framery and Design.