Deer Island Light

“Is that a sparkplug?” a child’s voice piped up, breaking the silence as we stand here before the Deer Island Light. A reasonable question, given its peculiar past. Deer Island Light has a history as captivating as the harbor it guards. This light has seen more than its share of storms, tragedies, and transformations. The original Deer Island Light, built in 1890, wasn’t a typical lighthouse. It was a “sparkplug” type, a unique design for its time, costing a hefty $50,000. Imagine a three-story dwelling perched atop a cast-iron caisson, complete with a veranda, boat davits, and a circular parapet. A spiral staircase wound its way from the cellar to the lantern room, where a clockwork mechanism kept the lens revolving. The light, initially fixed white, was later altered to include a red flash every 30 seconds to avoid confusion with Boston Light. The original fog signal, a bell struck every 10 seconds, echoed across the harbor, a mournful sound in dense fog. Deer Island Light stood as a sentinel, witnessing maritime history unfold. Keeper Wesley Pingree braved the infamous Portland Gale of 1898 within its walls, a storm that claimed hundreds of lives and wrecked countless ships. Years later, tragedy struck again when assistant keeper Joseph McCabe slipped from the icy rocks and perished in the frigid waters while returning to the light. The lighthouse itself weathered countless storms, its caisson base battered by waves and ice. By the 1970s, the structure had deteriorated significantly. It was deemed unsafe and abandoned in 1972 during a fierce nor’easter. The original Deer Island Light was dismantled in 1982, replaced briefly by a white fiberglass tower, then a brown one. Today, we see a more modern structure, a skeletal tower on piles, erected in 2015. Though its form has changed, Deer Island Light continues its vital role, guiding vessels safely through Boston Harbor.