Digest>Archives> May 1999

Eastern Point Light

By Jeremy D'Entremont

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The Eastern Point Lighthouse, MA.
Photo by: From Jeremy D'Entremont Collection

Eastern Point's pretty white lighthouse in its rough and rugged setting has been a popular destination for photographers and sightseers for many decades, and for more than a century and a half it has guided "those who go down to the sea in ships" safely into port. It's an invaluable sentinel in one of America's most historic old fishing ports.

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The second Eastern Point Lighthouse, MA, built in ...
Photo by: From the Jeremy D'Entremont collection.


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Samuel Wonson, the first Keeper at Eastern Point ...
Photo by: Photograph courtesy of Joseph Garland.

The arm of land known as Eastern Point, at the entrance to Gloucester Harbor on Massachusetts' Cape Ann, has been home to farms, a quarry, a Civil War fort, a number of summer homes, and the Eastern Point Yacht Club, where artist Winslow Homer once spent a year painting seascapes.

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Dog Bar Breakwater Lighthouse at Eastern Point ...
Photo by: From the Jeremy D'Entremont Collection.


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Chief Petty Officer John Bostel in the walkway ...
Photo by: Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.

In 1821 a lighthouse had been built on Ten Pound Island inside Gloucester Harbor, but this light wasn't visible until vessels had already found the entrance. Also mariners approaching Gloucester Harbor from the north sometimes confused Bemo Ledge, known as "False Point" with Eastern Point. Some of those vessels, turning too soon, were wrecked on the rocks near Braces Cove.

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The second Eastern Point Lighthouse, MA, photo ...
Photo by: From Jeremy D'Entremont Collection.


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Before Eastern Point Light was built, a grove of oak trees served as a landmark. In 1829 the Boston Marine Society wrote, "That it is the opinion of this Society, that the erection of a monument on Eastern Point Cape Ann, would be highly useful to navigation in Boston Bay-the old landmarks of trees being nearly decayed and gone . . ."

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The first Eastern Point Lighthouse, from an 1876 ...
Photo by: From the Jeremy D'Entremont collection.


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The spiral staircase that leads to the lantern ...
Photo by: Photograph by Jeremy D'Entremont.

A daymarker was placed at Eastern Point before the end of 1829. The lighthouse was delayed because President Andrew Jackson opposed the construction. In seems Gloucester had voted against him in a past election. With overwhelming support from Congress, the lighthouse was finally approved.

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"Lacey" the Eastern Point Lighthouse dog.
Photo by: Photograph by Jeremy D'Entremont.


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The modern optic at Eastern Point Light, MA.
Photo by: Photograph by Jeremy D'Entremont.

A stone lighthouse, 30 feet high, was erected at a cost of $2450 and first lighted on January 1, 1832. The lighthouse's ten lamps exhibited a fixed white light and were fueled by whale oil. The first keeper was Samuel Wonson, hired at $400 yearly. Wonson remained keeper until 1849.

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The old fog bell, used from 1933 to 1969, is now ...
Photo by: Photograph by Jeremy D'Entremont.

An 1843 inspection found Eastern Point Light decayed, leaky, and in need of rebuilding. Engineer I.W.P. Lewis, recognized the importance of the location, saying, "This harbor is a favorite resort of the mackerel fishermen, and other small craft; two hundred sail often run in there, in the course of a few hours, to escape the approach of a gale. There is also a considerable amount of tonnage owned at this place, employed in foreign ports."

With the arrival of the railroad in Gloucester and a great influx of immigrants, the fishing business exploded into one of the world's largest and Eastern Point Light assumed even greater importance. Between 1830 and 1910, 779 vessels out of Gloucester were lost at sea with the loss of 5305 lives. One can only imagine the relief the Glouchestermen must have felt upon sighting Eastern Point Light after many long months away on the fishing grounds.

A new 34-foot lighthouse was built in 1848. The second Eastern Point Light became known as the "ruby Light', because it exhibited a fixed red light, produced by French red plate glass surrounding 11 whale oil lamps and reflectors. In 1857 a fourth order Fresnel lens was installed, increasing the visibility of the light from 11 miles to 13 miles. The same year, a fog bell operated by hand-wound machinery was also installed.

In 1880 a whistling buoy was installed near Eastern Point to provide additional warning of the dangerous ledges. Some of the summer residents objected to their summer quietude being shattered. Because of the complaints of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, who claimed she suffered from a "nervous ailment," the United States Secretary of Navy ordered the buoy removed from May to October. Later Ms. Phelps was married to the Rev. Herbert Ward and the Boston Record reported, "Since her marriage, Mrs. Ward is much better, and the officer who had to remove the buoy has put it back with the assurance that next summer he will have no orders to disturb it."

The two-story duplex house, built at the station in 1879, still stands. The third and present Eastern Point Lighthouse was built in 1890 on the foundation of the first tower. The 36-foot brick tower was attached to the keepers house by a covered walkway.

In January 1897, a 4000 pound steam-driven fog bell was put into operation. This gigantic fog signal was said to have a beautiful tone like a cathedral bell. A 1933 fog bell is now on display at the station.

Modern conveniences arrived earlier at Eastern Point Light than at many of the more isolated stations. In 1896, telephone lines reached the lighthouse. The following year the station received electricity and in 1901 city water was extended to the light.

The 2250-foot breakwater in front of the lighthouse was built for $300,000 between 1894 and 1902. At the end of the breakwater is another light, called the Gloucester Breakwater Light, established to mark dangerous Dog Bar Reef. The keeper at Eastern Point Light also had the duty of keeping this light, a dangerous task when ice covered the stone breakwater. Today the breakwater is a favorite spot for walking and fishing. The automatic sensor that activates the electronic fog signal was recently moved to the end of the breakwater.

A severe storm in March 1931 dislodged blocks from the breakwater and severed the cable to the Breakwater Light and fog signal. The outer section of the boat slip was also washed away in the gale.

The great blizzard of February, 1978, again brought the seas crashing against the buildings at Eastern Point Light. Great damage was also done to several buildings and to much of the station's machinery. The garage was also nearly destroyed.

Michael Mone was the Coast Guard keeper in the early 1980's. He and his wife Shelia loved the station, but it wasn't always peaceful. "Anything can happen," Mone told Womens's World Magazine. "Sometimes we have to retrieve boats that have been torn from their moorings and return them to their owners. Or we might help the Coast Guard patrol boat locate overdue fishing vessels."

Mone described one night when the seas were so high, a vessel was actually driven up over the 35-foot high breakwater. The Mones' four-year-old son, Timothy summed it up. "This place is swell, but sometimes it gets spooky."

The last Coast Guard keeper at Eastern Point was Chris Benton, who moved to the station in 1983 with his wife, Lee. Sharing the solitude of lighthouse life with the Bentons were their dog, Jib, a cockatoo named Sinbad, and their cats Katie and Sarah.

Eastern Point was automated in 1985. About 20 neighbors attended the automation ceremony. The great grandson of the first keeper, local resident Carroll Wonson, was given the honor of being the last person to manually turn on the light. Cape Ann historian Joseph Garland said, "It's really one of the great lighthouses on the coast. This light's guided a heck of a lot of vessels in." In 1987 Eastern Point Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

In the 1990s, it looked like Eastern Point would be leased to the Lighthouse Preservation Society, but the Coast Guard decided to retain the station for housing. Repairs were made to the station in 1993, and the interior of the Keepers house was remodeled in 1998.

Chief Petty Officer John Bostel, a New Jersey native, moved into the keepers' house in September of 1995 with his wife, Carol, their two sons, Stephen, 14, Nathen, 6, and their perky dachshund, Lacey. The family has enjoyed the stay but will leave this August when John is transferred to another station. At that time another Coast Guardsman, Gary Hillman, from Key West, Florida, and his family will move in.

Bostel joined the Coast Guard because he wanted to be a lighthouse keeper. Unfortunately, this was at the time that the Coast Guard was automating lighthouses, so John never got his chance to be a true lighthouse keeper. Still, when he was assigned to Coast Guard Station Gloucester and found out about the opportunity to live at Eastern Point Lighthouse, he did everything possible to make it happen.

Harbor seal pups often come ashore at low tide to rest on the rocks near the Keeper's House. Visitors tend to disturb them or think they are injured, so Carol Bostel frequently stands guard over them. The seal pups are weaned from their mothers after two months. While they adjust to this situation, they appear to be sad and in need of hug, says Carol. She stands guard over them until the tide returns and they can swim away on their own, unharmed.

Bostel and his sons appreciate the great fishing at the station. All they have to do is go out on the rocks in the back yard to catch striped bass. Bostel has seen many people catch cod, flounder, and even sharks near the station.

The worst storm the Bostels have experienced at Eastern Point was during the winter of 1995, shortly after they moved in. The winter gale sent waves into the yard and against the garage. The storm buried Bostel's truck under seven foot snow drifts.

Also living at the lighthouse is Chief Petty Officer Michael Fincham, originally from California, his wife Darla and their two children, Mackenzie, 10, and Conner, 5. The Finchmans are spending two years living at the light while he is assigned to the patrol boat, Grand Isle out of Gloucester.

Life at Eastern Point Light is usually peaceful and quiet much of the year, but is quite different in the summer when flocks of tourists arrive. Despite the "No Trespassing" signs at the gate, people walk right into the station. Some picnic in the yard, others peer into the windows. Carol Bostel says that once a visitor walked right into the house without even knocking. There are great views of the lighthouse from the breakwater, so for those looking for nice views and photographs of the lighthouse, it's not necessary to disturb the residents, after all it's their home. Some of the scenic cruises out of Gloucester also pass close to Eastern Point.

New Hampshire has its Old Man in the Mountain, but Eastern Point has Mother Ann. The shape of a reclining woman can be seen from certain angles in the rocks next to the lighthouse. There's also a Hi-site radio tower at the station important to maritime communications.

Today, Eastern Point Lighthouse, so vital to the history of Gloucester, remains an active aid to navigation, displaying a white flash every five seconds, visible for 13 miles.

This story appeared in the May 1999 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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