Palmer Island Light Station
Why it's listed
Palmer Island Light is a 24-foot rubble masonry lighthouse tower on an island in New Bedford Harbor, built in 1849 by Charles M. Pierce for about $1,951. It was constructed when New Bedford was the leading home port of the whaling fleet, and it guided harbor traffic for nearly a century. A keeper's house, boathouse and other buildings once stood on the island, and a dike carried a walkway to the tower. The 1938 hurricane destroyed the keeper's house, and the light was automated in 1941. The Army Corps of Engineers bought the property in 1962, and a 1966 fire set by vandals gutted the tower and removed later wooden additions. What remains closely reflects the 1849 form, including the tower, an iron lantern frame possibly dating from 1863 or earlier, and the damaged dike. The lighthouse also appears on the New Bedford city seal. The city has expressed interest in restoring it as part of a park.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant for its historical association with New Bedford's whaling-era maritime prosperity and for its architecture as one of the few early 19th-century lighthouses remaining in the United States. Its appearance on the city seal and its largely original 1849 form after later additions were lost add to its importance.
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 80000433, listed March 26, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | New Bedford Harbor, New Bedford |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | March 26, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000433 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Charles M. Pierce |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as deteriorated and unoccupied: gutted by a 1966 vandal-set fire, with the lantern frame displaced and the dike damaged. The keeper's house was destroyed by the 1938 hurricane. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.62609, -70.90933 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 80000433.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7128244
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.