Peck’s Ledge Lighthouse

A
very
lonely
job
Peck’s Ledge Light is a common «spark plug» type lighthouse that were developed in the early part of the 20^th century as a cheap alternative to the more elaborate and unique structures that served as early lights.
They actually towed the cast iron base to the site and sunk it into the bottom of the water and filled the base with concrete and then attached the cast iron and brick lined top that contains the light and living quarters. Certainly not as nice to look at as the earlier lighthouses but these spark plugs lights are strong little SOB’s that laugh at hurricanes like Irene and Sandy.
Peck’s Ledge was completed in 1906 and is 54 feet high. It was automated in 1933 and is about two miles off shore from Calf Pasture Beach and is never open to the public but is still an active aid to navigation. Not an easy light to get close to in anything but a small boat and is seldom seen up close.
Being a lighthouse keeper was a difficult and dangerous job in any location but in these little round lights, miles out in the ocean, it was exceptional trying. There are stories about keepers in these small lights going crazy and would start screaming if they saw anything circular in shape back on land. Others would retire and still walk around in small circles for the rest of their lives.
These small, relatively cheap and very tough lights don’t have the romantic appeal of the larger and more elaborate earlier lights but serve just as an important purpose. Fortunately they are now all automated to keep anymore poor lighthouse keepers from walking around in circles.