 Call the folks at the Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Visitor Center (508-255-3421) for information about taking guided tours of the "Three Sisters". The Three Sisters Of EasthamNo, this is not a tale of three spinsters or three sorceresses from bygone days. It is a tale of three lighthouses which served the Cape shoreline during the 19th century and stand today as treasured historic landmarks. Eastham's original lighthouses were erected in 1837. The three 15-foot towers were constructed of brick and stood 150-feet apart on a high bluff. For several decades, the "Three Sisters of Nauset" guided mariners safely along the coast. However, erosion claimed the land upon which they stood, and they fell into the sea. In 1892, three new towers replaced the original structures. However, in order to make relocation easier, the new "Sisters" were constructed of wood. Eventually, in 1911, the lights were once again in danger, perched just eight feet from the eroding cliff. Because maintaining three towers was more expensive, only the middle tower was moved inland; the others were sold for $3.50 and became part of a nearby private cottage. In 1923, one of the twin beacons in Chatham was disassembled and floated by barge to Eastham. It is now known as Nauset Light. Shortly afterward, the Middle Sister was decommissioned and, once again, moved inland. In 1990, the National Park Service renovated and reunited the Three Sisters, which now stand near the Nauset Light Beach Parking Lot. |
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