East Chop Lighthouse

Year Built

1869

Cost

$5,000

Type

Conical

Height

40 feet

Location

Lighthouse Road, Oak Bluffs

Automated Year

1933

First Lit

1878 (current structure)

Lens Type

Fourth Order Fresnel lens

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

Active

Color

White with black lantern

Last Keeper - Date

George W. Purdy (1912 – 1934)

Description

The only remaining building is the lighthouse.

Brief History

•  In the 1880’s the color was changed to a reddish-brown color that earned it the name The Chocolate Lighthouse.
•  From 1912 to 1934, East Chop Lighthouse was maintained by a one-armed keeper named George Walter Purdy.
•  In 1957 the Coast Guard sold the land surrounding the lighthouse to the town of Oak Bluffs for use as a park.
•  1988, the formally reddish brown light commonly known as the “ Chocolate Lighthouse” tower was painted white.
•  During the summer of 2007, East Chop Lighthouse was refurbished inside and out at a cost of $140,000.