Derby Wharf Lighthouse, Salem, Massachusetts
DERBY WHARF LIGHT
Location: On the outer end of Derby Wharf, westerly side of Salem Harbor, Massachusetts.
Station Established: 1871
Year Current/Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1871
Operational: Yes
Automated: 1970s
Deactivated: 1977-1983
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: Brick
Tower Shape: Square
Markings/Pattern: Red tower with black lantern room
Height: 17-1/2 feet from base of structure to center of lantern
Relationship to Other Structure:
Original Lens: Fifth Order
Characteristic: Fixed red
Fog Signal: None
Historical Information:
* 1871 – Lighthouse built at the end of the wharf.
* 1906 – Original 5th order lens replaced by a 4th order lens.
* 1910 – The lighthouse was re-classified as a harbor light. As a result, the 4th order lens was removed and a 6th order lens installed.
* 1970s – The lighthouse was automated.
* 1977 – The lighthouse was deactivated and deeded to the National Park Service.
* 1983 – Friends of Salem Maritime had the light re-lit and declared a private aid to navigation. It has a solar-powered optic.
Keepers:
* Robert Peele Jr. (1873 - 1885)
* John Lynch (1885 - 1905)
* Shepley Paul Sawyer (1905 - 1908)
* Charles L. Wales (1908 - 1911)
* N. C. Tedford (1911 - 1913)
* William M. Osgood (circa 1913 - 1917)
Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.