Newburyport Harbor Light
Why it's listed
Newburyport Harbor Light is a 50-foot cylindrical tower of white shingles topped by a black cast-iron lens room, set near the north end of Plum Island at the mouth of the Merrimack River. Two small wooden lights were first built here in 1788, the eleventh lighthouse in the United States, and were ceded to the federal government in 1790. Shifting sands and channels forced the lights to be moved several times, and jetties built around 1890 finally stabilized the channel. The present tower was built in 1898 and is believed to incorporate parts of one original 1788 tower, which may make it the oldest surviving light in Massachusetts. Inside, a wooden staircase of thirty steps climbs the wall to the lamp and lens rooms. A plastic automatic lens replaced the Fresnel lens in 1981. The keeper's house and other buildings left Coast Guard ownership in 1951, so only the tower was listed, for its role in navigation aids and its integrity.
Significance in brief: The light marks the site of the eleventh lighthouse built in the U.S., continuously maintained at the mouth of the Merrimack River despite shifting sands and channels. The 1898 tower is believed to include elements of one of the original 1788 twin lights, giving it a claim to oldest extant light in the state. The form states it meets criteria A and C at the state level.
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 87001485, listed June 15, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Northern Blvd., Newburyport |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | June 15, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001485 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Active and unmanned; fully automatic plastic lens installed in 1981. Only the tower is nominated because the keeper's house was disposed of in 1951 and its relationship to the tower has been obscured by later infill. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.81460, -70.81464 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 87001485.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7017273
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.