{"nrhp_refnum":"87001479","name":"Marblehead Light","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Marblehead Neck","address_restricted":false,"city":"Marblehead","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.50095816400005,"lon":-70.83109255399995,"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 skeletal cast iron lighthouse tower built in 1895 on the north point of Marblehead Neck at the east entrance of Marblehead Harbor, Massachusetts, with a brick oil house, set in Chandler Hovey Park.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the light has integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and is tied to the development of aids to navigation in Massachusetts. Built in 1895, it is described as the only light in New England with a skeletal cast iron form and Second Empire/Neo-Grec detail. It was judged significant at the state level under criteria A and C.","narrative":"Marblehead Light is a tall, Eiffel-like cast iron lighthouse on the north point of Marblehead Neck, guarding the east entrance of Marblehead Harbor. Completed in 1895, it replaced earlier lighting arrangements, including a small light funded in 1833 and a 100-foot mast with an auxiliary light added in 1883, after cottages blocked the view of the older tower. A central cast iron stair column with an enclosed spiral stair is braced by eight piles and crossbracing. The tower rises 105 feet, with a lamp room and lens room above, and its total height above sea level is 130 feet. The door frame shows Second Empire and Neo-Grec detail. A brick oil house with a slate roof stands nearby. The site sits in a town park in a residential, yachting-oriented area. The light was listed because it is the only skeletal cast iron light of its kind in New England and retains its original design and materials. It remains an active, unmanned aid to navigation.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Skeletal cast iron tower with Second Empire/Neo-Grec detail","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Listed as unmanned and active; the oil house is described as in excellent condition. The tower is Coast Guard owned, and the surrounding land is town park.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:02.31305-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/28/7902/63790228/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/87001479.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001479/5bfbd0e3b3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001479/5bfbd0e3b3-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Tomwsulcer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marblehead_Massachusetts_lighthouse_on_peninsula_over_harbor.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Tomwsulcer</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marblehead_Massachusetts_lighthouse_on_peninsula_over_harbor.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790228","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marblehead_Light_(Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6755250"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/marblehead-light-87001479/"}