{"nrhp_refnum":"87001462","name":"Cleveland Ledge Light Station","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Cape Cod Canal","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bourne","county":"Barnstable County","state":"MA","lat":41.63030816500003,"lon":-70.69817410999997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-06-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation","Architecture","Maritime History"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Offshore lighthouse built in 1940 on a concrete caisson in 21 feet of water on a ledge two miles off Bourne, Massachusetts, at the southern entrance to the Cape Cod Canal channel in Buzzards Bay.","why_significant":"It was the last lighthouse of traditional form erected in Massachusetts and is a well maintained example of caisson construction. Its late date gives it distinctive Art Moderne design features. It retains integrity and is linked to the development of aids to navigation in the state.","narrative":"Cleveland Ledge Light Station rises from a ledge two miles offshore in Buzzards Bay, marking the southern approach to the Cape Cod Canal channel. Built beginning in 1940 at a cost of $250,000, it sits on a concrete caisson filled with rock, in 21 feet of water. A two-story dwelling with a square cross plan sits above a round first level, topped by a 50-foot tower and a traditional cast iron lantern. The 74-foot white structure is Art Moderne in style, with a deck railing reminiscent of a 1930s luxury liner. It was transferred to the government in partially completed condition in September 1941 because of the threat of war, with a temporary light installed, and it survived a violent storm. Automated in 1978, it still operates as an unmanned light. It is notable as the last traditional lighthouse built in Massachusetts and as a well preserved example of caisson construction with distinctive late design features.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Art Moderne","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Active and unmanned; automated in 1978 when Coast Guard personnel were removed. The form describes it as well maintained.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:00.118635-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/47/7891/63789147/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/87001462.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001462/b8ca31f949-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001462/b8ca31f949-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"US Coast Guard","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleveland_Ledge_Lighthouse_MA.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">US Coast Guard</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleveland_Ledge_Lighthouse_MA.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789147","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_East_Ledge_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5132124"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/barnstable-county/cleveland-ledge-light-station-87001462/"}