Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse
Rockport, Massachusetts
Built in 1835
Location:
Located on Straitsmouth Island, at the entrance to Rockport Harbor, offshore from the northeastern end of Cape Ann.
Latitude: 42° 39' 42" N
Longitude: 70° 35' 18" W
Historic Stories:
With Rockport’s growing granite trade, in addition to its already thriving fishing business, a lighthouse was necessary to guide ships to the Pigeon Cove pier where the granite stone was loaded, and Straitsmouth Island was deemed the ideal location.
| Straitsmouth Island Light was built in 1835, and from the beginning was poorly constructed. It always leaked and was constantly damp, making many keepers sick and resentful. | 
Straitsmouth Light (1835) |
In 1851, construction began on the new lighthouse as a 24-foot octagonal stone tower with a sixth-order Fresnel lens in 1857. The keeper however, remained housed in the original leaky dwelling until 1878.
Straitsmouth Light (1896) |
Even when portions were rebuilt, poor construction again caused the buildings to quickly deteriorate. |
In 1967, the land was deeded as a wildlife sanctuary with the lighthouse tower operated by the Coast Guard, but the keeper’s dwelling was constantly vandalized and fell into total disrepair, with no funds for restoration.
In 2010 the lighthouse and the nearly two acres of land surrounding it were transferred to the Town of Rockport by the National Park Service. The light and foghorn are now solar operated and the keeper's house was restored in 2017, with a walkway rebuilt between the house and the tower in 2022.
Straitsmouth Island became open to the public in 2019 with boat tours provided by the Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands Association, which also helps to maintain the lighthouse station. The rest of the island is now maintained and protected as a wildlife sanctuary by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
Places to Visit:
Visitors can explore Straitsmouth Island and nearby Thacher Island to view the two Thacher Island Lighthouses (also known as Twin Lights) if they join the Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands Association during the summer months and take their launch boat out to either island. On Thacher Island, there are opportunities for those that may want to stay overnight at the campsite nearby. Straitsmouth Island provides opportiunities for visitors to enjoy birding as it is a protected wildlife sanctuary.
Rockport is home to many artists and has been painted and photographed by the many tourists who flock to this picturesque seacoast village that offers restaurants, specialty shops and beaches. Rockport’s Front Beach is small and intimate, with places to eat you can walk to, and there is Back Beach and Old Garden Beach, which are small and a little out of the way, but with great views. Visitors and artists will also find the most famous red shack in the harbor painted by artisans from around the world; Motif #1.
There are various tour boats leaving out of the T Wharf in Rockport for sailing, fishing, whale watching, and all kinds of recreational activities.
Contact Info:
Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands Association
P.O. Box 73, Rockport, MA 01966
E-Mail: info@thacherisland.org
Massachusetts Audubon Society
208 South Great Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
Phone: (781) 259-9500 or 1-
800-AUDUBON
Local Boat Tours
Boat cruises mentioned below pass by Straitsmouth Light during specific lighthouse cruises, narrated wildlife and historic tours, whale watching, fishing tours and other types of excursions.
Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands Association
The Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands boat launch operates from early June to late August, with trips to Thacher Island on Wednesday, Saturday and some Tuesday mornings, and trips to Straitsmouth Island on the alternate Tuesday mornings each month.
P.O. Box 73
Rockport, MA 01966
Launch Reservations: (617) 599-2590
Camping and Mooring Reservations: (508) 284-0144
E-Mail: info@thacherisland.org
Harbor Tours of Cape Ann
Passes by the lighthouse as part of their six-lighthouse Cape Ann tour.
P.O. Box 719
Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 283-1979
email info@capeannharbortours.com.
Books to Explore
New England's Haunted Lighthouses: 
Available in paperback. |
In this image-rich book, discover the historical secrets surrounding the haunted lighthouses of New England! Respectable witnesses have reported numerous ghostly encounters, including the spirits of devoted keepers who refuse to leave, phantom ships, victims of misfortune, restless souls from nearby shipwrecks, and more. Immerse yourself in the stories connected to these iconic landmarks, blending maritime history with the paranormal. |
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: This 300-page book provides special human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses in the southern coastline, along with plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions you can explore, and boat tours. Look inside! |
|
 Available in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
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The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships: In the early 1900s, New England shipbuilders constructed the world’s largest sailing ships amid social and political reforms. These giants of sail were built to carry massive quantities of coal and building supplies and measured longer than a football field! These true stories include competitions, accidents, battling destructive storms, acts of heroism, and their final voyages. |
