Who We Are

Historic Images

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Who We Are

A white house with blue trim and a porch.

The Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands Association (TSIA) was established in 1981 by the Thacher and Straitsmouth Islands Town Committee (TSITC) as a nonprofit group dedicated to raising funds for the restoration and on-going maintenance of the islands. The Town of Rockport owns the southern end of Thacher Island and manages it via the TSITC and TSIA. The northern end is owned by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and is managed by the Town under an agreement with USFWS. Straitsmouth Island is primarily owned by Mass Audubon. The Town of Rockport owns and manages the eastern end where the lighthouse is located.

A plaque is shown in front of the entrance to cape ann light station.

Today the TSIA boasts a membership of over 1000 individuals, families and local businesses. The Board of Directors is volunteer-based and composed of 18 members, five of which are officers, and meets monthly. A member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service often attends as well.  A newsletter is distributed to members two times a year and the web site receives an average of 1000 hits per month.

Historic Images

A group of people in a boat on the water.
Visitors arrive from Loblolly Cove c.1930.
A lighthouse on the side of a hill.
North tower with fishing schooner passing c.1910.
A man and woman sitting next to each other.
Keeper George E. Kezer. Uniforms were required after 1884.
A man in uniform standing next to a wall.
Keeper Eugene Larsen and wife Edvardine c. 1912.
A man and boy on steps in front of house.
George Kezer with his oldest son Harlen and younger son Thatcher Warren born on the island in 1900.
A black and white photo of a lighthouse.
North tower with covered walkway c.1910.
A black and white photo of the cape ann lighthouse.
North tower keeper house c.1910.
A picture of some houses in the past.
Principal keeper and assistant keeper houses with picket fence and outhouse c.1880.
A black and white photo of three lighthouses.
Island view from eastern shore to the west.
A woman in white dress standing on the water holding onto a rope.
Keeper wives often fished to supplement the family food supply.
A black and white photo of an old trailer.
Coal cart near the radio compass tower operated by the U.S. Navy c.1911.
A black and white photo of a building with a flag on top.
South tower with two original fog signals c.1868.
A large boat in the water near some buildings.
Lighthouse tender USLHT “Mayflower” delivering coal and supplies on August 12, 1913.
Three men standing next to a wheel on the dock.
Unidentified keepers pose on porch of Principal keeper house on July 28, 1896. This may be Principal keeper Addison Franklin Tarr, with telescope, who served from 1881 to 1912.
A black and white photo of the lighthouse.
Whistle house with railway trestle to the roof where coal was deposited to run the steam powered fog signal.
A man and woman holding two children in front of a house.
Third assistant keeper William Merrill Reed and his wife Dora and daughters Alice and Louise 1904.
A black and white photo of an old building.
Current whistle house with cover cistern and schooner passing by the South tower.
A man standing next to two cows in the grass.
Keeper William Daggett (1870-1945) tending his cow near the North tower c.1918.
A man and woman standing on steps with a boy.
Assistant keeper John E.H. Cook with his wife Emma and son Donald in 1911.
A black and white photo of houses in the 19th century.
South Tower Principal and Assistant Keeper Houses

Island Images

A rocky beach with the ocean in the background.
A sailboat in the ocean near a lighthouse.
A small white house sitting on top of a grass covered field.
A person riding waves on top of a surfboard.
A lighthouse on the beach with waves crashing in front of it.
A view of a lighthouse from the porch.
North Tower and Whistle House [photo: Julianna Hub]
A lighthouse with the sky in the background
A lighthouse on the shore of an island.
A lighthouse on the rocks near water

Contact Us

Phone numbers:
The islands are now closed for the season. Please contact us by email at any time.

E-mail us anytime:
[email protected]

Mailing address:
P.O.Box 73, Rockport, MA 01966

Web address:
www.thacherisland.org