Established in 1863, the U.S. Lighthouse Service General Depot centralized service and supplied light stations nationwide. Before its creation, the country was divided into regional districts, each with at least one supply depot, a system that duplicated storage, workforce, and supplies. The central depot met the need for a location with convenient docking for large supply ships, room for expansion and construction, safe storage for flammable lamp fuel, and space to develop new technology. It provided every lighthouse in the nation with necessary supplies and equipment, including buoys and bells awaiting shipment. Once a lively and bustling complex of 18 buildings, the site now retains 6 buildings: Oil Vaults, Barracks Building 6, Administration Building 7, Original Lamp Shop Building 8, 1907 Lamp Shop Building 10, and Foundry/Machine Shop Building 11. All were constructed between 1863 and 1918.
