Station Monomoy Point, Massachusetts
Coast Guard Station # 44
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Location:
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On Monomoy Point, south end Monomoy Island, abreast of Powder Hole; 41-33' 10"N x 70-00' 20"W
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Date of Conveyance:
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1898
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Station Built:
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1902
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Fate:
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Turned over to the GSA in 1956
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Remarks:
Monomoy Island is a long, narrow strip of beach at the elbow of Cape Cod. The dreaded Shovelful and Handkerchief shoals stretch out under the waters of Nantucket Sound along the eastern and southern shores of the island, and in the vicinity countless vessels have met their doom and many lives have been lost. Owing to the great number of disasters that occurred off the southern end of Monomoy, the Monomoy Point life-saving station was built. At the time that this station was erected, it was intended that the old Monomoy station would be abandoned and the crew transferred to this station, but after the Wadena disaster, the decision was made to keep them both open. This station was built in 1902 "on Monomoy Island, southwest three-fourths mile of Monomoy Point Light." In 1921, a contract was awarded for extensive repairs and remodeling of the station building including installation of modern heating and toilet facilities. Monomoy Point station was still listed as active in 1945, but was removed from the list of stations in April 1947. The property was turned over to the GSA in 1956.
Keepers:
The first keeper was Joseph C. Kelley, who had earned his surfman experience at the Chatham station (achieving number one surfman status) and who was appointed August 7, 1902 at the very young age of twenty-nine. He was reassigned to the Old Harbor station on April 7, 1915 and was followed by Robert E. Ellis (acting until his appointment on January 14, 1916, reassigned to the Monomoy station on July 10, 1924). Next came Chief Petty Officers R. W. Cahoon (1927 until reassigned to the Brant Rock station) and J. L. Caton (1928).
Sources:
Station History File, CG Historian’s Office
Ralph Shanks, Wick York & Lisa Woo Shanks. The U.S. Life-Saving Service: Heroes, Rescues and Architecture of the Early Coast Guard. Petaluma, CA: Costaño Books, 1996.
U.S. Treasury Department: Coast Guard. Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers and Cadets and Ships and Stations of the United States Coast Guard, July 1, 1941. Washington, DC: USGPO, 1941.