Wood End Light Lookout Station
Why it's listed
Wood End Light is a square brick lighthouse tower, 38 feet high, on a sandy stretch of the Cape Cod "arm" facing Provincetown Harbor. It was built in 1873 and is painted white. A small brick oil house with a slate roof, added in 1896, stands to its east. Once part of a manned station with a keeper's dwelling and storage shed, only the tower and oil house remain; the other buildings were razed in 1961 when the light was automated. The tower is identical to its sister at Long Point and has a ten-sided lens room. It remains an active aid to navigation, converted to solar power in 1981. The nomination values it for retaining its location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and for its link to the development of navigation aids in Massachusetts. Together with Long Point Light, it is the only surviving pair of lights still operating. The site is reached only by four-wheel-drive vehicle, and access is restricted by the National Park Service.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the tower keeps its integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship and reflects the development of aids to navigation in Massachusetts. Together with Long Point Light, it is the only surviving pair of lights in the state still in operation. It is judged significant at the state level under criteria A and C.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 87001504, listed June 15, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Long Pt., Provincetown |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | June 15, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001504 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unmanned, active aid to navigation; converted to solar power in 1981. The keeper's dwelling and storage shed were razed in 1961, and the oil house was converted to a generator shed in 1960. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.02036, -70.19279 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 87001504.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8032192
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.