The Three Sisters Lighthouses

This trio of little lighthouses was originally built in 1837 (and illuminated two years later in 1839), when a light became necessary halfway between Highland Lighthouse and the twin towers at Chatham. (There are no longer two towers at Chatham, but I’ll cover that in another post.) Unfortunately, the three original brick structures were casualties of erosion and fell into the sea in 1890. (It’s said the brick foundations can still be seen on the beach at low tide, even today.) Two years later the three lighthouses were replaced with wooden towers on brick foundations.

The Three Sisters have a history of keeping ships and mariners safe, of falling down and being rebuilt, and of being sold off when no longer needed and then reunited. These lighthouses no longer guard the coast, but have been bought back and reunited as the trio they began as so long ago. The Three Sisters Lighthouses can be seen in a small, wooded area on Cable Road in Eastham, MA, just a short walk from Nauset Lighthouse.

As for their name – The Three Sisters Lighthouses – there is no confirmed story as to how they received their named, but there are two lores. Some say the Keeper Henry Y. Hatch (1851 – 1853) had three daughters. Other say the name came from the fact that the towers resembled three demure women in white dresses and black hats.

To see more photos of The Three Sisters Lighthouses, please visit my website here.

To see more photos, please visit my website here.