Martha’s Vineyard lighthouse’s moved 129ft inland in $3m operation [View all]

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/29/lighthouse-gay-head-marthas-vineyard-massachusetts-relocated-inland



Historic Gay Head lighthouse on Massachusetts island is to be relocated to prevent the 160-year-old structure from tumbling down cliffside

Martha’s Vineyard lighthouse’s moved 129ft inland in $3m operation
Associated Press
Thursday 28 May 2015 19.58 EDT

A lighthouse on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard, among the most endangered historic landmarks in the US, is to begin a trek to a new home further inland.

The $3m project to move the Gay Head Lighthouse will prevent the 160-year-old structure from tumbling down the rapidly eroding cliffside.

The beacon was a critical waypoint for mariners navigating the sometimes foggy coastline during the heyday of the whaling trade, which was centred on Massachusetts communities such as Martha’s Vineyard during the 1800s.

Today it is a popular tourist destination on the sparsely populated western edge of the famous resort island, which also is home to the federally recognised Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe.