New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide

Plum Island Light

(Newburyport Harbor Light)

Newburyport, Massachusetts

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© Jeremy D'Entremont

Location: Northern tip of Plum Island, Ipswich Bay, entrance to Merrimack River

Nearest city: Newburyport

42 48 54 N
70 49 06 W

MapQuest Link

Accessibility: The grounds are open all year; the lighthouse is sometimes open for open houses.

Station established: 1788; Present tower built: 1898; Automated: 1951

Construction materials: Wood

Tower height: 35 feet; Height of focal plane: 50 feet

Optic: Fourth-order Fresnel lens (1856), still in use.

Characteristic: Occulting green light; two eclipses every 15 seconds

Other buildings still standing:1898 keeper's house

Active Coast Guard aid to navigation; the lighthouse is owned by the City of Newburyport and is leased to the Friends of Plum Island Light.

The Friends of Plum Island Light, Inc.

P.O. Box 381

Newburyport, MA 01950


Open houses are held on selected weekend days in summer. There is a short ladder to climb to the top; sneakers are required. Children must be at least 5 years old and 42 inches tall to climb to the top. Tours are free, but donations to support the Friends of Plum Island Light, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the lighthouse, are appreciated.

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Plum Island

Previous lighthouse: Ipswich Range Lights

Next lighthouse: Newburyport Harbor Range Lights

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