The Graves Light
Encyclopedia
The Graves Light is a lighthouse
located on The Graves, the outermost island of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
, and 9 miles (15 km) offshore of downtown Boston, Massachusetts
, USA.
At 113 feet (34m), it is the tallest lighthouse
in the approaches to the Port of Boston
, and is an important navigation aid for traffic to and from the port. It was built at the same time that the North Channel into Boston Harbor
was dredged to become the principal entrance for large vessels. The Graves are the outermost rocks near the outer end of the North Channel.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as Graves Light Station on September 28, 1987, reference number 87002041.
blocks on a granite foundation, and equipped with one of the few first-order Fresnel lens
used. The lens assembly stands about 12 ft (4m) tall and is now at the Smithsonian Institution
. The light was the setting for the climactic storm in the 1948 film Portrait of Jennie
.
Operated by the United States Coast Guard
, the light was automated in 1976 and has a characteristic of two white flashes every 12 seconds.
Various sources agree that the ledges were named for a Thomas Graves, but differ on who he was; some prefer a 17th century British Admiral; others like a colonial era American merchant. The USCG history web site shows both.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located on The Graves, the outermost island of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area situated among the islands of Boston Harbor of Boston, Massachusetts. The area is made up of a collection of islands, together with a former island and a peninsula, many of which are open for public recreation and some...
, and 9 miles (15 km) offshore of downtown Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA.
At 113 feet (34m), it is the tallest lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in the approaches to the Port of Boston
Port of Boston
The Port of Boston, , is a major seaport located in Boston Harbor and adjacent to the City of Boston...
, and is an important navigation aid for traffic to and from the port. It was built at the same time that the North Channel into Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
was dredged to become the principal entrance for large vessels. The Graves are the outermost rocks near the outer end of the North Channel.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Graves Light Station on September 28, 1987, reference number 87002041.
Construction and History
The lighthouse was built in 1905, to a conical design using graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
blocks on a granite foundation, and equipped with one of the few first-order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
used. The lens assembly stands about 12 ft (4m) tall and is now at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. The light was the setting for the climactic storm in the 1948 film Portrait of Jennie
Portrait of Jennie
Portrait of Jennie is a 1948 fantasy film based on the novella by Robert Nathan. The film was directed by William Dieterle and produced by David O. Selznick. It stars Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten.-Plot:...
.
Operated by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, the light was automated in 1976 and has a characteristic of two white flashes every 12 seconds.
Various sources agree that the ledges were named for a Thomas Graves, but differ on who he was; some prefer a 17th century British Admiral; others like a colonial era American merchant. The USCG history web site shows both.