Exploring The Chatham Lighthouse

Believe it or not, one of the most popular things to do on Cape Cod is to explore all of the Cape Cod lighthouses.

People often make whole weekends out of it – traveling up and down the Cape just to see and touch these grand historic structures.

The Chatham Lighthouse is an exciting one to see simply because of its history: it was the second lighthouse built on Cape Cod.

Erected in the early 1800′s, the Chatham Lighthouse endured bitter beach erosion and had to be renovated several times. In 1879, the south tower slid over the cliff, and the north tower was lost 15 months later.

Fortunately, the optics of the twins had been moved to a new set of towers prior to their demise. These two new towers, built of iron plates lined with brick, were completed in 1881. But 1923 marked the end of the Chatham twins, as the north tower was moved to Nauset. The foundation of this light, however, is still visible.

In 1969, the entire lantern room was rebuilt, and 2.8 million candlepower aerobeacons installed, which are visible for 25 miles. The original lantern room is on display on the grounds of the Chatham Historical Society Museum.

In 1991, the lighthouse’s overlook and part of the parking lot were washed away in the “Perfect Storm” on October 31. The lot and overlook have since been restored, and the station is not in any immediate danger from erosion.

Considering all that it has been through, people are always amazed that the Chatham Lighthouse is still standing. This is a Cape Cod attraction like no other – and one that you need to experience by taking advantage of this Special Offer:

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