Gayheadlight.org preserved at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven. The Gay Head Lighthouse is maintained by the town of Aquinnah. Visit Gayheadlight.org for tours and information. In May 2015, the Gay Head Lighthouse (above) was successfully moved 129 feet away from eroding cliffs, buying at least 150 years before erosion may require another move inland. The 400-ton tower survived the delicate move without a single crack. For more information and to watch the fascinating video of the move visit GayHeadLight.org The Cape Poge Lighthouse is by far the Island’s most remote, built in 1801 when an Act of Congress appropriated $2,000 for it. A 4-acre site was purchased for $36 from Marshal Jenkins, Martin Pease, and Joseph Huxboro. The original lighthouse was made of wood and had a small caretaker’s cottage. By 1838, the building was destroyed by the ravaging sea and rebuilt farther inland. It lasted only 50 years before the sea again claimed it and it was rebuilt, with a change from reflector lamps to red and white revolving prisms. The sea would not be denied, and reclaimed the lighthouse in 1892. It was rebuilt as a 33-foot-tall tower that lasted only another 35 years. The present white wooden structure was built in 1922, 55 feet high with a light visible for a distance of 12 miles. In 1985 it gained the distinction of being the first entire lighthouse to be moved by helicopter; in 1997 the lantern was again moved by helicopter for repairs. The lighthouse’s present site is 300 feet from the ever-hungry sea. All of the Island’s lighthouses, except the Cape Poge Lighthouse, are easily accessible by road, though the West Chop Lighthouse is not open to the public. I The Trustees, 508-627-3599, offer tours of the Cape Poge Lighthouse. I The Martha’s Vineyard Museum, 508-627-4441, has information about the East Chop Lighthouse and Edgartown Lighthouse. I The Town of Aquinnah, 508-645-2300, has information about the Gay Head Lighthouse. The Gay Head Lighthouse Peter Simon The Edgartown Lighthouse Peter Simon 2020 -21 Travel Guide 97 LIGHTHOUSES
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