Race Point Light
3Q64+WQ Provincetown, MA, USA
Name and Location
The Race Point Light is a major coastal navigational aid located at the northern tip of Provincetown, Massachusetts. The official name is Race Point Light, and it is also referred to as "Race Point Lighthouse" or locally as "Race Light." Its address is 3Q64+WQ Provincetown, MA, USA.
Construction and History
The lighthouse was first established in 1816 and has undergone changes over the years. The present tower dates back to 1876, when it was constructed using prefabricated cast-iron plates bolted to a brick-lined concrete foundation. In 1987, it was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (Ref. 87001482).
Architecture and Materials
The lighthouse has a standard U.S. Lighthouse Board design from the 1870s. It is a cast-iron cylindrical tower with an integral decagonal lantern gallery and watch room, standing at 41 ft (12.5 m) above base and 48 ft (14.6 m) above mean high water.
Light and Navigation
The lighthouse emits a flashing white light every 10 seconds (Fl W 10s), visible for 16 nautical miles. The sectors are 220°–292° (normal), with the remainder being obscured or flashless. It is powered by solar panels with battery backup, installed in the late 20th century.
Accessibility and Visiting
The grounds of the lighthouse are open daily from dawn to dusk, free of charge. However, the tower itself is closed to the public. Visitors can approach the grounds at low tide, but caution is required due to tides, shifting sands, and seasonal closures for bird nesting. Guided tours are occasionally offered by National Park Service volunteers during the summer season.
Notable Views and Landscape
The lighthouse overlooks the shoals and strong tidal currents ("the Race") at the entrance to Provincetown Harbor, with views extending northward across Cape Cod Bay and on clear days to Mount Agamenticus in southern Maine. The surrounding area is wind-swept and largely undeveloped, with scrub pines and beach grass.
Anecdotes and Folklore
The original 1816 tower was a wooden structure that succumbed to storms, replaced by the present cast-iron tower in 1876. During the "Great Provincetown Blizzard" of 1888, keepers reportedly endured weeks of isolation, with local oral history recounting frozen lenses and midnight ice-breaking.
Technical and Operational Details
The lighthouse is fully automated (since c. 1960) and is listed on the U.S. Coast Guard light list number 1-485. It appears on NOAA chart 13264 (Cape Cod Bay).
Further Information
For further reading, consult the National Park Service's "Race Point Light Station" brochure, United States Coast Guard Light List, Volume I (Atlantic Coast), NOAA Nautical Chart 13264 (Cape Cod Bay), and Richard J. King's book _Lighthouses and Keepers of the Cape Cod Coast_ (2005).
Details
Name | Race Point Light |
---|---|
City | Provincetown |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 42.0623155, -70.2430959 |
Year of construction | {"stationFirstEstablished":1816,"presentTowerErected":1876} |
Events | [object Object] |
Stories | Keeper families included the Edwards and Harrison households; some letters in the Cape Cod Maritime Museum archives describe wild nor'easters and shipwreck rescues. |
Architectural style | Cast-iron cylindrical tower with integral decagonal lantern gallery and watch room |
Construction material | Prefabricated cast-iron plates bolted to a brick-lined concrete foundation |
Focal height | 14.6 |
Tower height | 12.5 |
Renovations | [object Object] |
Access description | Reachable only by boat or by hiking 4���5 miles over sand dunes from Herring Cove Road in Provincetown (no public road access). |
Landscape type | rocky coast |
View description | The area is wind-swept and largely undeveloped, with scrub pines and beach grass; views extend northward across Cape Cod Bay and, on clear days, to Mount Agamenticus in southern Maine. |
Facilities | No on-site visitor center or restrooms. |
Opening hours | {"groundsOpenDaily":true} |
Nearby attractions | [object Object], [object Object] |
Light characteristic | Fl W 10s |
Light range | 16 |
Automated | true |