Story of Minot's Light

Minot's Ledge lies off the coast of Cohasset and Scituate, Massachusetts. This ledge and neighboring rock outcrops were the scene of over 40 shipwrecks in the early and mid-1800s. The first lighthouse built on Minot's Ledge was an iron pile design—a spidery construction drilled with difficulty into the ledge. This first lighthouse was destroyed by a storm in under two years, killing two lighthouse keepers. The second, and current, lighthouse was built over five years, completed in 1860, and remains in service today. This book covers the marine history of the rocky coast, the tragedy of the first lighthouse, and the incredible challenges of building the current lighthouse on rock that was only revealed at low tide for 80 minutes a day. - Summary by Mark Harrington