WayfarrowThacher Island North Light
Lighthouse · Essex County, Massachusetts
Thacher Island North Light is a lighthouse in Essex County, Massachusetts. Massachusetts has 81 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 19 of them in Essex County.
It was built in 1861, in the Civil War era, making it the 15th oldest of the 50 in Massachusetts with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 124 feet tall (the tallest of 36 measured in Massachusetts); its light sits 166 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as F Y (a steady light); it was deactivated in 1939.
Status check, 2026-11: The record's 1771 date is when the station was established. The granite tower standing today dates from 1861. It was turned off in 1932 and relit as a private aid to navigation in 1989. One source gives the height as 123 ft. It carries the heritage designation National Register of Historic Places contributing property. It is not reachable by road: the nearest road is about 1 mile away, so it is seen from shore or reached by water. It stands at 42.6392° N, 70.5748° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1861 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 124 ft |
| Focal height | 166 ft |
| Light characteristic | F Y |
| Deactivated | 1939 |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places contributing property |
| Coordinates | 42.63917, -70.57478 |
Nearby places
- Cape Ann Lightlighthouse · Essex County · 0.2 mi
- Straitsmouth Island Lightlighthouse · Essex County · 1.7 mi
- Stonehavenghost town · Essex County · 1.8 mi
- Dogtownghost town · Essex County · 4.4 mi
- Ten Pound Island Lightlighthouse · Essex County · 5.3 mi
- Annisquam Harbor Lightlighthouse · Essex County · 5.7 mi
- Eastern Point Lightlighthouse · Essex County · 6.1 mi
- Wingaersheekghost town · Essex County · 6.2 mi
- Ipswich Range Front Lightlighthouse · Essex County · 10.1 mi
- Ipswich Range Lightslighthouse · Essex County · 10.2 mi
- Ipswich Range Rear Lightlighthouse · Essex County · 10.2 mi
- Bakers Island Lightlighthouse · Essex County · 12.9 mi
Questions
Where is Thacher Island North Light?
Thacher Island North Light is in Essex County, Massachusetts, at 42.6392, -70.5748.
How many lighthouses are in Essex County?
Essex County, Massachusetts has 19 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.
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Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.