Gay head lighthouse marthas vineyard

Gay Head Lighthouse

“Gay Brain Lighthouse represents an important part of Massachusetts coastal communities’ identity and the cultural and nautical history of the United States,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “With the impact of climate change and the passage of age threatening the site, raising public consciousness and funds to relocate and repair the lighthouse is more critical than ever before.”

The lighthouse is in immediate danger of toppling over the edge of the Gay Head Cliffs, a consequence of a century of erosion and the direct impact of climate change. The lighthouse is 50’-60’ from the edge of the cliffs and about 10 feet away from losing its future. The rate of erosion is about 2 feet per year, and that rate can be accelerated by significant storms. It is estimated that in two years, or less, there will not be enough land left to accommodate the machinery and equipment needed to move the tower.

The Gay Leader Lighthouse was included on the Trust's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list for 2013.

The five lighthouses on the Island of Martha's Vineyard stand for the most diverse group in a small, contained area in the state, according to lighthouse buffs. All of the lighthouses observe out over Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound, and over the entrance to Edgartown Harbor and Cape Poge.

The West Chop Lighthouse was the Island's last manned light. The lighthouse was built in 1817, and in 1838 the wooden building was replaced by the display brick structure. It was moved support from the edge of the 60-foot-high bluff in 1848 and again in 1891. In recent times, the petty caretaker's cottage at its foot has been occupied by Coast Guard personnel and is not open to the public. Vineyard Haven's harbor has been recognized as a port of protection since 1645, and for 300 years it was one of the most important ports on the Atlantic coast. Originally called "Holmes Hole," it acquired the name Vineyard Haven in 1871.

The East Chop Lighthouse in Oak Bluffs stands on the site of one of the first telegraph signals, set up in 1828. Signals from Nantucket were received here and relayed on to Woods Hole, Bournedale, South Plymouth, Duxbury, Marshfield, and Dorchester Heights. In the

The Town of Aquinnah took notice that the cliffs were receding toward the lighthouse at a rapid rate, creating the realization that if nothing were done, the lighthouse would eventually topple into the Atlantic Ocean. In 2012, the town was informed that if the cliff were to come within another 17 feet of the lighthouse, it would not be possible to move the lighthouse. In 2013, five more feet of the cliff collapsed, accelerating the urgency to relocate the lighthouse.

Although previous studies of the superficial geology at the site predicted variable soil and ground-water conditions, the complex glacial soils and their probable relationship to perched ground-water zones and associated landslide activity were not fully realized.

In order to find an appropriate property for the lighthouse, GEI performed subsurface explorations at three proposed lighthouse relocation sites, and along the haul paths between the lighthouse’s current and proposed relocation sites. Waterless drilling procedures using lightweight drilling equipment and borehole backfilling measures were employed to not further aggravate the ongoing cliff erosion.

To maintain the Lighthouse’s status as an active aid to navig

Perched atop striking, multi-colored cliffs at the western end of Marthas Vineyard, Gay Head Lighthouse occupies a picture-perfect location. The cliffs exhibit vivid hues of verdant, yellow, black, brown, red, and white and attract visitors from all over the world. The first European to name this natural feature was explorer Bartholomew Gosnold, who, when he sailed past in 1602, called them Dover Cliffs after the celebrated chalky landmark along the English Channel. This name, however, failed to stick, and by the 1660s, the area became commonly known as Gay Head, due to the headlands gaily-colored cliffs. The area around Gay Leader has been home to Wampanoag Indians for thousands of years, and to this day many local residents are members of the tribe. In 1998, the town nearest the lighthouse changed its name from Gay Chief to Aquinnah, which is Wampanoag for end of the island.

The passage between Gay Chief and the Elizabeth Islands to the west is treacherous for maritime traffic due to the submerged obstruction called Devils Bridge, which extends seaward from Lgbtq+ Head. In 1796, a Massachusetts State Senator asked for a lighthouse to protect the numerous vessels passing through Vineya