Name and Location

Hyannis Harbor Light, also known as Hyannis Rear Range Light, is located at 91 Harbor Road, Hyannis, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA. The coordinates are 41°38′10.6″ N, 70°17′18.4″ W (decimal 41.6362804, –70.2884497).

Construction and History

The lighthouse was established in the mid-19th century (around 1849) to guide vessels into Hyannis Harbor. The current keeper's house with an integral tower dates back to the late 19th century (exact year unknown). It served as the rear range light of a pair, aligning with a front light on Harbor Road to guide vessels into the harbor.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has a restrained vernacular style, featuring a 1½-story wood-frame keeper's dwelling with a square lantern tower rising from the roof ridge. The exterior is clad in clapboard siding, while the lantern house is made of metal and glass. Originally, it was topped by a small pitched roof or gallery.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse functioned as a rear range light, aligned astern of the front light. It originally had a fixed white light (oil lamp) elevated to match the front light's bearing. The focal height and range are not officially recorded, but it was likely under 40 ft above sea level, visible for several nautical miles along the range line.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is currently a private residence and not open to the public. Visitors can view the exterior from Harbor Road, with parking available along the road. Nearby attractions include Hyannis Inner Harbor and Marina, John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, Cape Cod Maritime Museum, and Scenic Harbor Walk along Craigville Beach.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the site, one can still enjoy views southward across Hyannis Harbor toward Nantucket Sound.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local lore suggests that during Prohibition, a keeper or caretaker used the darkened lighthouse to signal rum-running schooners anchored offshore. However, this is not substantiated by official records.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse was manned by a local lighthouse keeper who maintained the lamps and wicks, trimmed lenses and chimneys daily. It was never automated and was extinguished and discontinued in 1929.

Further Information

For further information, please visit MassGIS Lighthouses of Massachusetts (http://mass.gov/mgis/lighthouses.htm), Wikidata (Q5952778), Wikipedia (en): "Hyannis Rear Range Light", or U.S. Coast Guard Light List (historic editions).