Gay Head Light stands at Aquinnah on the westernmost point of Martha’s Vineyard above the clay cliffs, where it was established to guide ships through the dangerous waters of Vineyard Sound near Devil’s Bridge. Authorized in 1798 and first lit in 1799 by keeper Ebenezer Skiff, it became the island’s first lighthouse and a vital navigational aid on a heavily traveled route. Its early history also intersected with the Wampanoag community at Gay Head, as Skiff employed local Aquinnah Indians and taught Wampanoag children. Repeated upgrades improved the light, while constant wind, weather, lightning, and cliff erosion threatened the station and forced its relocation in 1844.