Ten Pound Island Lighthouse

Things
that
lurk
in
the sea.
The very first lighthouse built on Ten Pound Island was back in 1821. Gloucester was a very important harbor and since the island sits right in the way of the entrance people sensibly figured a lighthouse on the little island would be a good idea.
The lighthouse was cheap and poorly constructed and another light made of cast iron was completed in 1881 and still stands. About 39 feet tall it originally had a 5^th order Fresnel Lens that is now in a museum up in Maine.
Gloucester can be a spooky place with all kinds of storms and fog and people can see strange things in in the mist. And all kinds of odd and bizarre things have indeed been seen out by the lighthouse. The very first sea serpent sighting was back in the 1600’s and so many have been seen that this is sometimes called The Sea Serpent Lighthouse.
By the early 1820’s sightings of the beast were so common that people use to come here just to get a look at it. Many sworn affidavits by very credible people were signed, describing the beastie in detail.
The light is quieter now and very few monster sightings are recorded anymore. The famous artists Winslow Homer lived here for a while around 1880 but he apparently was more busy with his painting than looking for monsters.
The lighthouse was restored in 1980 and looks almost like new. The only way to get to Ten Pound Island is by boat but it’s less than a mile off shore so it’s a pleasant kayak trip. Just be careful to keep an eye open for something large and bizarre that still might be lurking out there.