Name and Location

The Three Sisters Light #3, also known as the Eastern Sister of Nauset, is located at Cable Road (near 825R Cable Rd), Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 02642, USA. The coordinates are 41.8598524 N, –69.956983 W. You can find it on Google Maps at https://goo.gl/maps/mDAdMbazXAT2.

2. Construction and History

The Three Sisters Light #3 was built in 1838 as one of three identical wooden towers along Cable Road to guide mariners into Nauset Inlet on Cape Cod's Atlantic coast. The original trio, known as the "Three Sisters of Nauset," were deactivated around 1918 in favor of an offshore lightship and later, twin light towers at Chatham. Two of the original towers were demolished, while the third was sold and repurposed on private property. The remaining tower was acquired by the National Park Service in 1983 and relocated to its present site near Nauset Light.

3. Architecture and Materials

The Three Sisters Light #3 is a conical "shore-station" lighthouse tower made of wood frame, clad in cedar shingles. It stands approximately 27 ft (8.2 m) above the base and had a focal height of around 39 ft (11.9 m) above mean high water. The foundation is a brick pad on compacted sand, with an octagonal lantern room featuring iron handrails on a surrounding gallery deck.

4. Light and Navigation

The original light source was multiple Argand oil lamps with silvered copper reflectors, producing a fixed white light with a nominal range of approximately 8-10 nautical miles. Although the light is no longer active, it serves as a historic exhibit.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

Visitors can access the tower exterior during daylight hours year-round. The interior is closed to the public. There is no entrance fee for Cape Cod National Seashore, but parking is available at Nauset Light parking lot off Cable Road (0.3-0.5 mi away). Restrooms and picnic tables are also available at Nauset Light site; however, there are no services at the tower itself.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding area features notable views of Nauset Light (just south), Coast Guard Beach (renowned Atlantic swimming beach), Marconi Wireless Station Site Historic District, and Nauset Marsh Scenic Trail (birdwatching and salt-marsh vistas).

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Local tradition holds that on foggy nights the three lights appeared to "dance" along the low dunes, leading fishermen to call them the "dancing sisters." After deactivation, the lone surviving tower reportedly spent decades serving as a garden folly on private land before its National Seashore rescue.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse has no current navigational status; it does not display an active light, nor is AIS/Radar installed. The NOAA Chart Reference is 13205 (Cape Cod Bay).

9. Further Information

• For more information, refer to the National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, "Three Sisters of Nauset," 1987;
• Cape Cod National Seashore, NPS.gov – Nauset Light and Three Sisters overview;
• Massachusetts GIS Lighthouses Database: node/257496087;
• or Wikipedia: "Three Sisters of Nauset" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_of_Nauset).