Name and Location

The Hospital Point Range Front Light, also known as Hospital Point Light Station, is an active minor navigation aid located at 1 Bayview Avenue, Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts 01915, USA. The coordinates are 42°32′47.4″ N, 70°51′21.5″ W (decimal: 42.5464995, –70.8559599). It is visible from the adjacent public shoreline and Bayview Avenue.

2. Construction and History

The Hospital Point Range Front Light was established in 1871 during the post-Civil War expansion of aids to navigation in New England. The original name "Hospital Point" derives from the nearby 19th-century Marine Hospital (U.S. Public Health Service). The light station forms a pair with the Rear Range Light on adjacent grounds, guiding small commercial and recreational vessels safely through Beverly's coastal approach.

3. Architecture and Materials

The tower is a square wooden structure set on a stone foundation, approximately 21 ft above base. It is typical of mid-19th-century New England lighthouse style. The exact building materials are not recorded in publicly accessible archives.

4. Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is Fixed White (F W), with a height of approximately 21 ft above mean high water. The range is unspecified, but it typically guides vessels within a small local range. The light category is Front Range Light, LLNR 10000. The light has been automated since the mid-20th century.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The tower itself is Coast Guard-controlled property and generally not open to the public. However, the grounds are visible from Bayview Avenue and adjacent public shoreline. Visitors can view the light from low tide at the small park area along the harbor promenade, which offers attractive silhouettes against the water.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The Hospital Point Range Front Light faces Salem Harbor, with views across to Salem's northern waterfront and the Houses of the Seven Gables. Nearby points of interest include Salem Maritime National Historic Site (4 mi southwest), Lynch Park and Pavilion (public beach, walking paths), and Museums of Beverly and Salem (maritime collections).

7. Further Information

The light station has been designated as a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) district-level significance for maritime history (September 28, 1987). It is managed and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard (Support Center Boston) as an active aid to navigation.