Hospital Point Light Station
Also known as: Front Range Light
Why it's listed
Hospital Point Light Station sits on a rocky headland on the west side of Beverly Cove, guarding the main channel into Salem Harbor. The point was used for a watch house in 1711, an earthwork fort in 1755 and a smallpox hospital from 1801, which gave the place its name. The town transferred the land to the federal government in 1871, and a brick tower about 40 feet high was built in 1871-72. It is painted white and topped by a ten-sided lens room with an iron dome. An oil house, a Stick Style keeper's house and an 1875 equipment building completed the original station. Later changes, especially large additions to the keeper's house in 1968, reduced the integrity of the other buildings, so only the tower is considered significant. In 1927 a rear range light was added in a Beverly church spire. The station is valued as a good example of a secondary light and for its role in navigation aids.
Significance in brief: The station is described as a good example of a secondary light and is tied to the development of aids to navigation in Massachusetts. It was established in 1871 to guide vessels into Salem Harbor and was later paired with a rear range light in a church spire. Only the tower is treated as significant because of alterations to the rest of the site.
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 87002031, listed September 28, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bayview Ave., Beverly |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87002031 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architectural style | Stick Style/Queen Anne Revival (keeper's house); square brick pyramidal tower |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unmanned and active as a navigation light; the keeper's house was heavily altered in 1968. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.54465, -70.85795 (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.
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 87002031.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15225715
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.