{"nrhp_refnum":"87001466","name":"Derby Wharf Light Station","other_names":["See also:Salem Maritime National Historic Site","Derby Waterfr"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Derby Wharf","address_restricted":false,"city":"Salem","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.51451140800003,"lon":-70.88383108599999,"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":"A small square white brick lighthouse at the end of Derby Wharf on the west side of Salem Harbor, Salem, Massachusetts, within Salem Maritime National Historic Site. The form gives construction dates of 1870 and 1877.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the light keeps integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship and is tied to the development of aids to navigation in Massachusetts. It is one of only five square-plan lights in the state and is part of an existing waterfront historic district. It is rated significant at the state level under criteria A and C.","narrative":"Derby Wharf Light Station is a small lighthouse at the far end of Derby Wharf on the west side of Salem Harbor, Massachusetts. Its 12-foot square white brick tower rises 25 feet above the high waterline and carries an octagonal iron lens room with a double course of windows, an iron segmented roof, a ventilation ball and a simple iron balcony railing. The walls are solid, with only a single steel door on the west side. The form records construction in 1870 for $3,000, though the significance section gives 1877. The light joined Salem Maritime National Historic Site in 1966 and the Derby Waterfront local historic district in 1976. It was relit in 1983 with solar power and an unmanned flashing signal. It was listed because it retains its original location, design, materials and workmanship, reflects the development of navigation aids in Massachusetts, and is one of only five square-plan lights in the state.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Listed as an unmanned, active lighthouse; relit in 1983 using solar power with a 6-second flashing signal.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:02.010313-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/26/7902/63790226/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/87001466.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001466/956d5a0ff4-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001466/956d5a0ff4-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Rizka","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Derby_Wharf_Light_Station,_Salem,_Massachusetts.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Rizka</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Derby_Wharf_Light_Station,_Salem,_Massachusetts.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790226","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derby_Wharf_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5261523"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/derby-wharf-light-station-87001466/"}