Buzzards Bay Lighthouse

Buzzards Bay Lighthouse, lighthouse off the Atlantic coast of southeastern Massachusetts, the first manned lighthouse in the United States built over open water (i.e., lacking a foundation on dry land). Completed in 1961, it replaced the last of a series of lightships that had guided vessels into the entrance of Buzzards Bay since the 19th century. The lighthouse was built in Texas on the model of an offshore oil platform. Floated to the site, it was sunk in place and its four steel pilings driven down to the bedrock and filled with concrete. A 70-by-70-foot superstructure had living accommodations for five men and a flat roof for helicopter operations. The tower projected upward from one corner of the structure, presenting a flashing white light more than 100 feet above mean low water. In 1980 the lighthouse was automated, and in 1996 it was demolished and replaced by a smaller structure with an automated, solar-powered light.