# Minot's Ledge Light

- **Country:** United States
- **Region:** Massachusetts
- **Coordinates:** 42.033100, -70.168700
- **Lens:** 300mm
- **Status:** Active
- **Location Text:** Cohasset
- **Focal Height M:** 25.9
- **Year Automated:** 1947
- **Year First Lit:** 1860
- **Summary Written At:** 2026-10-17 00:18:09

Perched on Minot's Ledge, a rocky shoal about one mile offshore of the towns of Cohasset and Scituate in Massachusetts, the light sits to the southeast of Boston Harbor.  

The tower rises in a classic conical form of granite masonry set on a stone‑ledge foundation. It stands 87 ft tall, with the light’s focal plane positioned 85 ft above sea level (approximately 25.9 m). Its beam reaches 10 nmi and flashes white in a distinctive pattern of one flash, four flashes, then three flashes over a 45‑second cycle. The original third‑order Fresnel lens has been replaced by a modern 300 mm optic, and a horn sounds a single blast every ten seconds in fog.  

The first tower was erected in 1850 but was lost before long, prompting construction of the replacement that was first lit in 1860. The lighthouse has been automated since 1947, when the need for a resident keeper ended.  

The light continues to operate as an active aid to navigation, its focal plane at 85 ft (25.9 m) delivering a 10‑nmi white flash that repeats every 45‑seconds. The station’s status is recorded as active.

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minot's_Ledge_Light (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)