Name and Location

Butler Flats Light is an active caisson-type lighthouse marking the entrance to New Bedford Harbor (Acushnet River), Massachusetts. Its official name is Butler Flats Light, and it is sometimes called "Beer Can Light" due to its squat, cylindrical shape.

The location of the lighthouse is at J434+G6 New Bedford, MA, USA, with coordinates 41°36′13″ N, 70°53′40″ W (decimal: 41.6037948, –70.894482). It sits on a cast-iron foundation ("caisson") in the New Bedford Channel, approximately 1 mile south of the hurricane barrier at the mouth of the Acushnet River.

Construction and History

The lighthouse was constructed between 1897-1898 and first exhibited light on August 30, 1898. It was designed under U.S. Lighthouse Board supervision, with plans credited to Lt. William P. Creen. The era in which it was built was the turn-of-the-century coastal navigational improvement, replacing earlier lightships.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a "sparkplug" caisson lighthouse, consisting of a cylindrical, multi-story dwelling atop a submerged iron foundation. The foundation is cast-iron and reinforced concrete, with the tower rising through three stories of keeper's quarters to a lantern deck. The height of the structure is approximately 36 ft (from base to lantern roof), while the focal height is around 41 ft above mean high water.

The exterior finish is originally brownish red but today is painted white with a red lantern roof.

Light and Navigation

The original lens was a fourth-order Fresnel lens, installed in 1898. The current apparatus is a VRB-25 marine rotating beacon, emitting two white flashes every 10 seconds (Fl(2) W 10s). The range of the light is approximately 9 nautical miles.

Accessibility and Visiting

The tower and interior are not open to the public. The best viewpoints are from a private boat in the channel, from the New Bedford hurricane barrier observation deck, or along the southern jetties. To reach the lighthouse, launch a small craft in New Bedford Harbor or view from the shore at Van Buren Point Park.

Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding environment features low-lying fishing grounds and sand flats, with the horizon featuring the modern New Bedford Bridge and the harbor breakwater. Wildlife includes frequent seals on footings at low tide, seabirds, and occasional osprey.

Anecdotes and Folklore

One local lore rumor holds that during Prohibition, Rum-runners used the shadow of the light to slip barrels ashore unseen (anecdotal and unverified). Early keepers rowed ashore for provisions, while logs record storms that nearly tore the tower from its moorings in the 1938 hurricane.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse was automated in 1978, with the U.S. Coast Guard taking over routine maintenance and operation. The managing authority is the United States Coast Guard (Sector Southeastern New England). The aid to navigation is a Private Aid to Navigation under Coast Guard oversight.

Further Information

National Register of Historic Places ID: 87001502; listed as "Butler Flats Light Station." Nearby attractions include the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Fort Rodman/Fort Taber Park, and State Pier (fishing fleet viewing)."