Race Point Lighthouse Coffee Mug

The first lighthouse at Race Point was established on November 5, 1816 and consisted of a rubblestone tower showing a light 25-feet above sea level. Upgrades to the light station navigation-wise included the installation of a fog bell in 1852 and a fourth order Fresnel lens in 1855. By the 1870s a steam-driven fog signal replaced the outdated bell and in 1874 a second keeper’s dwelling was added to the light station. Deterioration to the original rubblestone tower prompted the U.S. Lighthouse Service to build the present day lighthouse in 1876. The structure was described as being a 45-feet tall, built of cast-iron construction and lined with brick. The lighthouse was electrified in 1957 and in 1960 the Coast Guard tore down the larger keeper’s dwelling. The light’s last resident keepers were removed in 1978. The U.S. Coast Guard leased the light station to the American Lighthouse Foundation in 1995. Race Point Light now offers overnight stays to guests wishing to experience lighthouse life on the remote and sandy beaches of Cape Cod.