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First lighted in November 1887, this facility converted to World War II service in December 1941 with the closing of the reservation to all visitors and the initiation of around-the-clock watches. With the abolition of the Lighthouse Service in 1939, this station came under the control of the United States Coast Guard when war broke out on December 7, 1941. With the realization that the lighthouse beacon silhouetted Allied vessels to the German Navy, a 50-watt bulb replaced the 500-watt used in peacetime.
Twenty-four hour radio watch continued until 1952 when the tower light became fully automated.
Restored and opened to the public in 1982, this site received designation by the National Park Service in 1998 as a National Historic Landmark.
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