Wings Neck Lighthouse
Wings Neck Lighthouse is on a peninsula (called Wings Neck) that extends from Pocasset on Cape Cod, out into Buzzards Bay.
The area where the lighthouse is located, used to be quite
Wings Neck Lighthouse
Wings Neck Lighthouse is on a peninsula (called Wings Neck) that extends from Pocasset on Cape Cod, out into Buzzards Bay.
The area where the lighthouse is located, used to be quite swampy but rich in iron. Several companies, (including the Pocasset Iron Company) were established by the mid-1800s as a result. This industry brought increased shipping traffic, which in turn created a need for a lighthouse in 1849.
The Wings Neck Light was 38 feet above the ground and 50 feet above the water. In the 1870s, it was noted that the weight of the lantern was crushing the roof of the dwelling.
Repairs were done after a fire broke out in 1878 and 10 years later, the station was finally re-built.
Completed in 1890, the new dwelling, was a wood-frame structure, 28 by 31 feet. A wooden lighthouse tower was built next to the dwelling, with the light 44 feet above the water, making it visible 12 miles out at sea. An enclosed walkway joined the two structures in 1899.
The wooden bell tower and 1,000-pound fog bell were added to the station in 1902.
The local marine traffic increased greatly after the Cape Cod Canal opened in 1914. Personnel at the light station had to watch for any approaching vessels from the south, and they would phone ahead so that a tugboat and pilot could meet the ships for their route through the canal.
In 1923