Race Point MA

Just off the tip of Cape Cod lies a treacherous cross current, or race, that gave the area its name. In the early 1800s, local residents petitioned the government to erect a lighthouse at the point as a guide to mariners coming around, en route to the Provincetown Harbor, and even with a sentinel, the dangerous coastline has seen scores of shipwrecks over the years.

One of its most famous disasters occurred in 1922, when the Annie L. Spindler—a British rumrunner carrying 800 cases of whiskey—hit Race Point during a gale. Rumor has it that the crew threw hundreds of cases overboard before the ship came ashore. Following the rescue, most of the whiskey was recovered and placed on another vessel. However, 50 cases “disappeared,” and a search of the town failed to recover it! The hull of the old ship remained on the beach for many years and was used as a popular picnic spot until it eventually disintegrated, thus ending a colorful bit of maritime lore.

The first Race Point Light—the third lighthouse constructed on Cape Cod—was lit on November 5, 1816. The 25-foot rubble tower was equipped with a light designed by Winslow Lewis—magnifying and reflecting light using half the oil of other lights. The government bought Lewis’ patent on the light for $20,000, and signed an agreement that he would fit and maintain all US beacons for a period of seven years. The light at Race Point was one of the earliest revolving beacons.

The original tower was torn down and a 45-foot brick and iron plate tower was erected in 1876. The new sentinel was equipped with a Fourth Order Fresnel Lens. The two-story Victorian keepers quarters, along with a sound signal building and an oil house completed the Race Point complex. All of these buildings remain today.

Race Point Light embodies the qualities that a lighthouse lover would hope to find on a Cape Cod beachhead. The simple white conical tower is topped with a black lantern. The red-roofed, white clapboard dwelling is connected to the tower with a covered walkway. Sitting on a vast expanse of sand, it is a 45-60-minute walk from the nearest road to reach the tower. If you have a specially equipped 4-wheel drive vehicle—and a required permit to drive on the sand of Cape Cod National Seashore—the two-mile trek is considerably faster.

There is another reason to visit Race Point Light: the keepers dwelling now offers overnight accommodations! After being boarded up and unused for more than 20 years, a cadre of volunteers set about restoring the lovely old Victorian quarters to its original, historic appearance. The American Lighthouse Foundation has spearheaded the restoration of this historic tower. Volunteers from the Cape Cod Chapter of the ALF began the work in 1995. Among its proudest achievements was replacing the tower door—an exact replica of the original, using wood from the era. Race Point Light’s rehabilitation has been the most expensive project to date by the American Lighthouse Foundation, and the work continues.

In addition to welcoming overnight guests in the keeper’s house, there is also a museum, and the Center for Coastal Studies has leased and renovated the foghorn building for use as a field research center. A National Historic Landmark, Race Point Light remains an active aid to navigation, with the automated solar powered system maintained by the Coast Guard.