Ten Pound Island Light
Ten Pound Island Light is a lighthouse in Massachusetts, at a modelled elevation of 5 m. Mount Ann stands 78 m to the west, 3.3 miles off. The nearest named place is Rocky Neck Beach, a beach 0.5 miles away. Essex Coastal Scenic Byway passes 0.7 miles off.
The Ten Pound Island Light possesses Integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It is a well preserved example of the cast iron towers of the period; it remains an important location in the navigation of Gloucester Harbor.
The story
The Ten Pound Island Light is a historic lighthouse in Gloucester Harbor in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It is located on Ten Pound Island, near the eastern end of the harbor. The tower, built in 1881, is a conical cast iron structure 30 feet (9.1 m) tall, replacing a stone tower first built on the site in 1821. The main body is painted white, and the top is painted black. The tower is the only surviving part of a more extensive light station, which included a keeper's house and an oil house. The island additionally hosted a federal fish hatchery and a Coast Guard air (seaplane) station; only ruins survive. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Both Winslow Homer and Fitz Henry Lane painted the first tower.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1821.
Wikidata Q7699292, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Built
- 1881
- Height
- 9.1 m
What to expect
- Operated by
- U.S. Coast Guard
How to reach it
- 0.7 mi off the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway
- 20.2 mi off the Coastal Byway
- 23.4 mi off the Independence Byway
- 26.7 mi off the Revolutionary Heritage Byway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Eagle Rock · 3 mi
- Wildlife Viewing Platform · 15 mi
- Skywalk Observatory · 28 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Rocky Neck Beach: 0.5 mi
- Niles Beach: 0.7 mi
- Good Harbor Beach: 2.1 mi
- Long Beach: 3.2 mi
- Gray Beach: 3.2 mi
- Keith Trefry Park: 0.5 mi
- Saint Peter's Square Park: 0.6 mi
- Solomon Jacbobs Park: 0.7 mi
- Gus Foote Park: 0.7 mi
- Captain Solomon Jacobs Park: 0.7 mi
- Greasy Pole: 0.5 mi
- Tablet Rock: 0.6 mi
- Schooner Thomas E. Lannon: 0.6 mi
- 7 Seas Whale Watch: 0.7 mi
- Schooner Adventure: 0.7 mi
- Coast Guard Aviation Monument: 0.6 mi
- Ten Pound Island Lighthouse: 0.6 mi
- Fishermens' Monument: 0.6 mi
- Solomon Jacobs Landing: 0.7 mi
- World War II Memorial: 0.8 mi
- Maritime Gloucester: 0.7 mi
- Sargent House Museum: 0.8 mi
- Beauport Museum: 0.8 mi
- Cape Ann Historical Museum: 0.8 mi
- Cape Ann Museum: 0.9 mi
- Essex Avenue Conservation Area: 0.8 mi
- Robbins: 0.9 mi
- Atwater Reservation: 1.0 mi
- Seine Field: 1.0 mi
- Marble Road Conservation Area: 1.1 mi
- Beacon Hill: 1.0 mi
- Bond Hill: 1.1 mi
- Wolf Hill: 1.7 mi
- Ferry Hill: 1.9 mi
- Railcut Hill: 2.0 mi
- Cold Frames: 8.0 mi
- Formal Garden: 8.2 mi
- Rose Garden: 8.3 mi
- Salem Community Gardens: 12.9 mi
- Ropes Garden: 13.2 mi
- Fishermen's Wives Memorial: 0.7 mi
- Fitz Hugh Lane: 0.7 mi
- Winslow II: 11.5 mi
- Cat Witch: 12.8 mi
- Communion with Us: 12.8 mi
- Stage Head: 0.6 mi
- Bass Rocks: 1.9 mi
- Brier Neck: 2.6 mi
- Town Head: 4.2 mi
- The Headlands: 4.9 mi
- Ramp: 5.1 mi
- Cistern: 5.1 mi
- Boathouse: 5.1 mi
- Utility Building: 5.1 mi
- Tram Way: 5.2 mi
- I 95 SB Salisbury Rest Area: 22.2 mi
- Seabrook Rest Area: 22.4 mi
- Rest Area I-495 (South Bound): 23.4 mi
- Rest Area I-495 (North Bound): 24.5 mi
- Newbury Falls: 16.9 mi
- Cascade Falls: 23.5 mi
- Hampton Falls: 23.7 mi
- Dogtown: 2.4 mi
- Haywardville: 23.7 mi
- Rail Spring: 15.3 mi
- Lion's Spring: 23.2 mi
- Pinetops Picnic Area: 20.2 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 10.2 miles of Ten Pound Island Light. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Ann | W 281° | 78 m | 3.3 mi |
| Red Rock | WNW 288° | 70 m | 3.3 mi |
| Pool Hill | NNE 23° | 66 m | 4.1 mi |
| Morse Hill | W 270° | 62 m | 4.8 mi |
| Pigeon Hill | NNE 21° | 61 m | 5.2 mi |
| Browns Hill | W 275° | 61 m | 9.2 mi |
| Long Hill | WSW 256° | 60 m | 4.0 mi |
| Eveleth Hill | WNW 284° | 57 m | 7.5 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:47 | 18:18 | 18:55 |
| June solstice | 05:06 | 19:42 | 20:25 |
| September equinox | 06:31 | 18:05 | 18:42 |
| December solstice | 07:10 | 15:27 | 16:13 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 27 | 28 | 35 | 45 | 55 | 64 | 70 | 69 | 62 | 51 | 41 | 33 |
| Precip in | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.8 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Beverly, 9 mi away.
Mean tidal range 8.8 ft at the nearest NOAA station.
NOAA CO-OPS station Gloucester Harbor, MA, under a mileaway — today’s predictions live there.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
National Register of Historic Places, reference 88001179OpenStreetMapWikidata- National Register of Historic Places — Ten Pound Island Light, reference 88001179, listed 08/04/88.
OpenStreetMap element way/713682287
Day trips start here
- Gloucester · 1 mi
- Rockport · 4 mi
- Essex · 6 mi
- Manchester · 6 mi
- North Shore · 7 mi
- Hamilton · 9 mi
Take the scenic way to Ten Pound Island Light.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.