Under a steady downpour on Tuesday, the Gay Head Light resumed its watch over Vineyard Sound and the waters off Aquinnah. A large crowd gathered in Aquinnah Circle, peering up from under their umbrellas and hoods to witness the end of the lighthouse’s longest period of darkness since 1856.

In May, following more than two years of intense preparation and fundraising, the historic brick-and-masonry tower was moved 129 feet from a rapidly eroding cliff. In the weeks that followed, a new foundation and retaining wall were completed, and excavated soil was returned to the site. And now the familiar red and white beams are shining again over Aquinnah.