Derby Wharf Light
![]() | |
| Location | Salem, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°30′59.6″N 70°53′0.9″W / 42.516556°N 70.883583°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 | |
| 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 lens. 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
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Massachusetts". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017.


