The first (1850) lighthouse at Minot’s Ledge, on the southern approach to Boston Harbor, was destroyed in an April 1851 storm, taking with it the lives of two young assistant keepers.
The construction of the second tower was one of the great achievements in American lighthouse building. Constructed of 1079 blocks of granite weighing 3514 tons, the light went into service in 1860 and it remains in use today.
U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is a past president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org