{"nrhp_refnum":"87001505","name":"Tarpaulin Cove Light","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Naushon Island","address_restricted":false,"city":"Gosnold","county":"Dukes County","state":"MA","lat":41.46864609600004,"lon":-70.75734997499995,"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 lighthouse on the southwestern shore of Naushon Island in Gosnold, Dukes County, Massachusetts, consisting of a cylindrical white brick tower with an entry house, built in 1856 and owned by the Coast Guard.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the light keeps integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship and is tied to the development of aids to navigation in Massachusetts. It is a good example of a mid-nineteenth century light and one of few historic structures on Naushon Island. Its position over a scenic cove adds scenic value.","narrative":"Tarpaulin Cove Light is a lighthouse on a rise above a boulder and sand beach on the southwestern shore of Naushon Island, the largest of the Elizabeth Islands off the Massachusetts coast. The only surviving element is a white brick cylindrical tower with an entry house, built in 1856 on a concrete foundation at a cost of $10,000. A light was first manned here in 1817 on land ceded by the Commonwealth and later supplemented by a purchase. The keeper's dwelling, built in 1890, deteriorated and was demolished in 1962, though traces of its foundations remain. The tower was remodeled in 1891, and a fourth order Fresnel-type lens was installed in 1967. The light is unmanned and still active. It was listed for its integrity, its link to the growth of navigation aids in Massachusetts, its value as a good mid-nineteenth century example, and its scenic setting overlooking a cove once used as a storm shelter by sailing vessels.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Unmanned and active; the keeper's house and other buildings were demolished in 1962, leaving only the tower.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.051584-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/99/7897/63789799/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/87001505.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001505/38c7fec0fc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001505/38c7fec0fc-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"US Coast Guard","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tarpaulin_Cove_Lighthouse_MA_1891.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">US Coast Guard</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tarpaulin_Cove_Lighthouse_MA_1891.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789799","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarpaulin_Cove_Light","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7686574"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/dukes-county/tarpaulin-cove-light-87001505/"}