- Wellfleet, with most of its
land within the Cape Cod National Seashore and only about 3,500
year-round residents, is a reminder of the older, quieter Cape
Cod. The town's well-protected harbor helped it develop as an
important whaling port in the early 1700s, but that industry
was curtailed by the Revolution. The town's primary business
shifted to fishing and shellfishing, and Wellfleet oysters were
eventually shipped all over the world. The town's name comes
from a similar location in England that was also known for its
abundant oysters.
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- Wellfleet had a growing fishing fleet of about 100 vessels
by the late 1830s. It was decided that a lighthouse on Mayo's
Beach would aid mariners entering the harbor. There was some
disagreement about this, as a lighthouse inspector felt that
Billingsgate Light, at the entrance to the bay, was all that
was needed in the vicinity.
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- The first Mayo's Beach Lighthouse.
U.S. Coast Guard photo.
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- The first lighthouse at the eastern end of Mayo's Beach consisted
of a short wooden tower and octagonal lantern on the roof of
a brick dwelling, with containing three rooms on the first floor
and two rooms on a small second floor. Joseph Holbrook of Wellfleet
was appointed first keeper at a salary of $350 yearly. Ten oil
lamps and accompanying 13-inch parabolic reflectors produced
a fixed white light 21 feet above mean high water. Four of the
lamps shone over the land only and were soon removed.
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- During Holbrook's first four years at the lighthouse there
were three shipwrecks in the vicinity, including the 270-ton
brig Diligence. In 1839, Holbrook counted over 700 vessels
passing the station.
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- I. W. P. Lewis's landmark report on the area's lighthouses
in 1843 included a statement by Holbrook, who painted a dire
picture. The keeper complained that "The very wretched manner
in which the house was built renders it almost uninhabitable;
the walls always and the roof continually leaky."
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- Holbrook explained that the house, which had no foundation,
was set two feet below the surface of the beach. This caused
the cellar to be continually flooded with seawater. Two of Holbrook's
children died in their first four years at the lighthouse, a
tragedy that the keeper blamed on the unhealthy conditions. Holbrook
believed that the lighthouse had been erected in a "very
shameful manner." Despite these conditions, the lighthouse
was not rebuilt for nearly 40 years.
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- Stephen Pleasanton, the official in charge of the nation's
lighthouses, recommended the discontinuance of Mayo's Beach Light
in 1843, but it remained in operation. In 1857, the lighthouse
received a Fresnel lens. A screen was later erected around the
lantern to protect it from the birds that flew into it and broke
the glass with regularity.
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- In 1865, William Atwood, who had lost an arm in the Civil
War at Fredericksburg, became keeper at $350 per year. When Atwood
died in 1876, his widow, Sarah, became keeper and continued to
live at the station with their four children. Sarah Atwood remained
keeper until 1891.
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- The second (1881) Mayo's Beach Lighthouse.
U.S. Coast Guard photo
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- A new cast iron tower and brick and clapboard keeper's house
were built in 1881, and the old buildings were removed.
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- Charlie Turner, who also had a boat shop in Wellfleet, was
the keeper for approximately the last 30 years of the light's
active life. A dory of his own design was named after Turner,
a prominent character in the town.
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- In his book Cape Cod Echoes, Earle Rich described
a visit to Turner's boat shop. "Come in, you don't have
to knock around here," Turner told the young Rich. "This
is a boat shop, not a prayer meeting." A while later, Turner
went to a window as the sun was setting, announcing, "She's
getting pretty low. Guess I'll call it a day and get over there
and get ready to light up for the night." He slipped on
his favorite "beach jacket" and headed for the lighthouse
for his nightly duties.
- The kerosene-fueled lighthouse remained in service until
it was discontinued on March 10, 1922. The light station property
was sold at auction on August 1, 1923, to Capt. Harry Capron.
- The keeper's house today
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- The circle next to the house indicates
the former location of the lighthouse tower
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For many years, the general belief was that the lighthouse
was destroyed after it was discontinued. Research at the National
Archives by Colleen MacNeney (daughter of The
Lighthouse People) in 2008 has proven that this was not
the case.
As it turns out, the tower was dismantled and then shipped
to California, where it replaced an earlier (1912) tower at Point
Montara Light Station. It remains in use today.
The house and the 1907 oil house remain at Mayo's Beach, kept
in pristine condition by the present owners. If you visit, be
sure to respect the privacy of the owners. |
The tower after it had been moved to
California, before it went into service at the Point Montara
station. Photo from U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Courtesy of Colleen MacNeney and the Shanklins
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- Keepers: Joseph Holbrook (1838-?), John Newcomb (?-1853), Freeman L. Hickman (1853-?), William Atwood
(1865-1876), Sarah Atwood (1876-1891), James Smith (1891-?),
Charles Turner (c. 1890s-1922)
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