Tarpaulin Cove Light on Naushon Island marks the passage between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound and reflects the long maritime importance of the Elizabeth Islands. A private light established there in 1759 by Zaccheus Lumbert guided whalemen and coastal traffic until a formal government station was created, with the first staffed tower completed in 1817. The station evolved through successive rebuilding, including the present 1891 brick tower. Storms and advancing navigation technology changed the site over time: the fog station was lost in the 1938 New England Hurricane, the light was automated in 1941, and a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1967. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Gosnold, Massachusetts · USA