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Nobska Light Station: a place to play, to find peace, to create; a place to steep yourself in history, to study science, math, climate change, rising tides, and more. Sitting majestically on her promenade, she is an active, fully automated aid to navigation. But, did you know that in the later part of the 19th century she was operated manually, at a time when more than 25,000 ships a year navigated her waters? Before the Cape Cod Canal was opened, shipping traffic from New York and points south relied on Nobska Light Station to guide them through the rocky shoals of Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds. Having had a hardworking career protecting ships through the treacherous waters of one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, Nobska Lighthouse made a significant contribution to the development and growth of our nation.
Fully automated in 1985, Nobska Light Station no longer needed a full-time keeper to manage the light. For the next quarter century, the keeper’s house became the residence of the Coast Guard Commander of the Sector Southern New England, stationed in Woods Hole. In 2014, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced that Nobska Light Station would be placed on its list for divestiture. One door closes and another opens as town leaders approached the Falmouth Select Board with a plan to lease and renovate the property. In April of 2016, the Town of Falmouth officially received lighthouse licensure for Nobska Light Station from the USCG. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the Friends of Nobska Light (FoNL), was created to act as stewards of the property and to fundraise and oversee the renovations with the mission to save, restore, and preserve Nobska Light Station, to enhance the visitor experience with a maritime museum, and to share Nobska’s Story with future generations. Over $4 million has been raised to support this mission thus far.
Looking to provide this historic workhorse with a new purpose for a meaningful future, renovations were begun. Inside the historic Keeper’s House renovations were done with the future maritime museum on the forefront of everyone’s minds. The museum will be housed on the main floor and will include three key areas: the study of the light and the Fresnel lens, the history of storms and shipwrecks, and the study of the life of the keepers. Additionally, there is rotating exhibit space and a gift shop. The renovation of this space was completed in the summer of 2023 and is now opened for tours along with the tower. The exterior property has been thoughtfully contoured to increase accessibility. A new handicap accessible pathway has been created up to the keeper’s house (aka the home of the future Maritime Museum) from a new access point providing additional parking. The pathway is lined with educational kiosks. A brick terrace has been installed between the tower and the keeper’s house capitalizing on the beautiful view overlooking the confluence of Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds. FoNL has turned its fundraising focus to the creation of the museum. Roger Westerman Design LLC is designing the museum exhibits, which is highly anticipated by the Falmouth community.
In the fall of 2023, FoNL submitted its application to become the final keeper of this historic property. The National Park Service is evaluating the application and will make its recommendation to the Department of the Interior. FoNL eagerly awaits their decision to find out if they will, in fact, be the permanent property stewards of the future. In anticipation of a positive outcome, FoNL is committed to keeping this iconic structure a relevant destination for the Falmouth community. Through the creation of a maritime museum and concomitant community outreach there will be programming for schools and community groups to explore various maritime related areas of study in the Arts, Humanities, and Interpretative Sciences. It is hoped future generations will feel a personal connection and affection for Nobska Light Station appreciating what a wonderful and unique landmark we have in Falmouth.
For more information about the lighthouse and find out when you can tour the museum and lighthouse, you can visit them at www.FriendsofNobska.org
This story appeared in the
Sep/Oct 2024 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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