Help Save our South Tower Light!
Every generation has had its keepers.
Now it's our turn.
You know these lights. You have seen them from shore, from the sea, or from your own windows — the Twin Lights of Thacher Island, standing off Rockport as they have for more than 250 years. What you may not know is that one of them is in danger of being lost.
After more than 160 years of salt, storm, and freezing spray, the current Lantern Room at the top of the South Tower has deteriorated so badly that it is now at immediate risk of collapsing into the tower's interior. This is not a distant worry. It is the urgent threat to one of the last operating twin lighthouses in America.
The story of a nation & our challenge
Cape Ann Light Station is a National Historic Landmark. A mile to the north, Straitsmouth Island Light, first established in 1835 to guide Rockport's granite sloops past the Salvages and Avery's Ledge, still shows its welcoming green light at the entrance to Rockport Harbor and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Together these lighthouses tell the American story: colonial peril, Revolutionary commerce, the granite trade that built our cities, and the brave keepers.
Five years before American independence, John Hancock himself petitioned the British to build these essential markers to save maritime traffic from danger.
Help us make sure these founding-era landmarks endure.
Progress made and work to come
Two years ago, the generosity of our members carried the South Tower's Phase 1 campaign past its $500,000 goal, funding repair and replacement of railings on the Lantern and Gallery Decks — work that let visitors once again stand safely 120 feet above the ocean and take in a view few people will ever experience.
Now we face the final and most critical phase: the failing Lantern Room and the $2.25 million needed to save it. That amount has been estimated by a team of professional engineers and builders with decades of experience restoring lighthouses across the world.
When the work is complete, the South Tower's familiar red beacon will shine brightly for generations to come.
Keep our light shining!
Phase 2 restoration of the South Tower Lantern Room will cost an estimated $2.25 million dollars. With private grants and public support to date, we need $600,000 more to complete this essential project.
Your support in any amount will immediately help close that gap. THANK YOU!
Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and our EIN is 04-2790266.
Your gift is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. You'll receive a printed thank-you letter suitable for tax purposes.
Every generation has its keepers. Now it's our turn.
To become a KEEPER OF THE LIGHT, please Donate Now or send a check for your tax-deductible donation to Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands Association, PO Box 73, Rockport, MA 01966. A donation of any size will be very much appreciated. Thank you for your support!