Adm. Paul Zukunft, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, presents Boston Light lighthouse Keeper Sally Snowman the Coast Guard Commanders Award for Civilian Service on Little Brewster Island, Mass., September 14, 2016. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd class LaNola Stone.
BOSTON — The Coast Guard along with the National Park Service and Boston Harbor Now celebrated Boston Light’s 300th year of service, Wednesday at ceremonies at Boston’s Long Wharf and on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor.
The celebrations included remarks from U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Paul Zukunft as well as Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.
“For 300 years and to this very day mariners have relied and will continue to rely upon Boston Light,” said Zukunft.
Boston Light was constructed on Little Brewster Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor in 1716. She was first lit on September 14, 1716 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, becoming the first lighthouse in America. It was destroyed during the American Revolution and was rebuilt following the withdrawal of British forces. Today, Boston Light remains the only staffed Coast Guard lighthouse in the country, serving as an iconic aid to navigation with both light and fog signals.
“Think about the sheer number of lives that this lighthouse has saved over the centuries,” said Walsh. “You will realize the tremendous service this lighthouse has given us.”
