An exposed foundation at Gay Head Cliffs leads some to believe it may have served as a base for the second of three versions of the Gay Head Light. Others think it may be the foundation to the lighthouse keeper's colonial house.
More Coverage of Lighthouse Move
For almost 160 years, the Gay Head Light has stood at the westernmost part of Martha's Vineyard, a familiar and often beloved icon. But the clay cliffs underneath the lighthouse have proven less enduring, with erosion slowly bringing the lighthouse closer to the edge. This spring, after more than two years of planning and preparation, the 400-ton, 51-foot-tall lighthouse will be moved about 129 feet to a new location.
A grant received by the committee to save the Gay Head Light will allow three-dimensional scanning to create an accurate model, as preparations continue for relocating the old lighthouse.
Preservation and stewardship are crucial themes in the next phase for the old Gay Head Light.
A trio of cross-country runners took the top spots in the first annual Gay Head 10K held Sunday morning in Aquinnah.
Conor Welch, 25, of Allston, won the race with a time of 36:06.
Seeking Islandwide support for the relocation of the historic Gay Head Light, the town of Aquinnah will ask the five other Vineyard towns to commit to spending Community Preservation Act money next year to help pay for the move.
This is not just a story, it's a love story. In 1799 President John Adams commissioned the building of an eight-sided wooden lighthouse which marked the birth of the Gay Head Light.
The federal government formally declared the Gay Head Light surplus property Thursday, clearing the way for the town of Aquinnah to take ownership of the lighthouse which is now critically endangered due to erosion.
The General Services Administration posted the notice Thursday, making the lighthouse surplus property. Aquinnah voters have already agreed that the town will apply to take ownership.
As rapid erosion continues to threaten the Gay Head Light, a possible solution emerged this week to help mitigate the situation as the town embarks on a complicated, longer-term project to move the lighthouse.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced in a ceremony at the Gay Head Cliffs Wednesday morning that it had named the Gay Head Light to its 2013 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
