Straitsmouth Island Light Station

A lighthouse on the shore of an island.
1906 photo of 315-foot walkway, oil house and keeper house
Straitsmouth Island Light 2023    [photo: Jerry Gladstone, Rockport]
Straitsmouth Island Light 2023 [photo: Jerry Gladstone, Rockport]

Brief History of Straitsmouth Island

Straitsmouth Island, a few hundred yards from the mainland, is home to Straitsmouth Island Light which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. With 30 acres of granite, scrub and wind tolerant trees, it has a dangerous reef at the eastern end of the island which creates a unique habitat for coastal birds, fish and seals. But shipwrecks have claimed many lives over the centuries.

Native Americans first came to Straitsmouth Island to gather eggs and feathers from its bird colony in the warm months. Centuries later, in 1614, English explorer John Smith “discovered” Straitsmouth along with Thacher and Milk Islands.

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The first lighthouse was built on Straitsmouth Island in 1835 to mark the entrance to Rockport Harbor and the dangerous reefs of the Salvages and Avery's Ledge.  It was replaced in 1851 with one that was closer to the ocean and had a walkway to provide easy access from the keeper’s residence. The present Keeper House was built in 1878, and the current 37-foot tall lighthouse was constructed in 1896.

This lighthouse was maintained by resident keepers and the Coast Guard until the early 1930s when the light was automated by power supplied from the mainland via an underwater cable. The Keeper House fell into disrepair.

In 1967 the island (except for the lighthouse) was donated to Mass Audubon, which maintains it as a wildlife sanctuary. In 2010 the lighthouse and the 1.8 acres of land around it were transferred to the Town of Rockport by the National Park Service. The light and foghorn are now solar operated.

The Keeper House was restored in 2017 and the walkway between the house and the tower was rebuilt in 2022. Straitsmouth Island began welcoming public visitors in 2019 – for the first time in 180 years!

 

Learn how you can visit Straitsmouth Island. Click on Visit Us.

A small island in the middle of an ocean.
Aerial of 31-acre Straitsmouth Island off the coast of Rockport, MA
A small house on top of a hill near the ocean.
Keeper house during restoration of the roof in 2011
A lighthouse sitting on top of rocks near some bushes.
Straitsmouth Island Light Station, keeper house, oil house and lighthouse
A lighthouse with scaffolding around it and the ocean in the background.
37-foot tall lighthouse - totally renovated in 2013
A group of lighthouses on the shore of a body of water.
Thacher Island is visible a mile south of Straitsmouth Island
A dilapidated house with weeds growing on the front of it.
Keeper house before restoration began in 2011
A sailboat is sailing on the water.
Granite sloop Albert Baldwin sailing through the “gap” in 1920. Boat house built in 1867.
A black and white photo of a lighthouse.
37-foot brick tower replaced the 1851 tower in 1896 and still stands today
A man standing on rocks near a lighthouse.
Entry house to the tower was destroyed by the “Perfect Storm” in 1991
A white lighthouse with black trim and a ladder.
Light and fog signals were updated in 1990 with solar panels
Straitsmouth walkway completed in 2022 [photo: Alice Twombly]

Walking the Island

A map of the walking tour with many different locations.

Straitsmouth Island Flyover