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Harbour Lights Collectors’ Corner
Attend a 2004 In-Store Event and Own the Beautiful Three Sisters Lighthouse
On a windswept bluff on the “backside of Cape Cod” sit identical 15-foot towers that long ago became known as the Three Sisters of Nauset Beach. Harbour Lights honors them in a remarkable new sculpture as the 2004 In-Store Event Exclusive.
Their history began when a handful of local residents petitioned the Boston Marine Society to erect a lighthouse that would lie halfway between the twin towers at Chatham and the Highland Light at Truro. To differentiate the new station from its nearby neighbors, planners decided to build three lighthouses.
The brick structures were erected in 1838, in only 38 days, and were placed 150 feet apart. Their fixed white lights beamed from the high cliffs of Cape Cod and were the subject of both awe and controversy - “This seems a shiftless and costly way of accomplishing that object,” wrote Henry David Thoreau. No one could quite agree on a solution.
Cliff erosion had endangered the triplets by 1892, so three new wooden towers were built further back. The fourth order Fresnel lenses were moved from the old brick towers. With the northernmost tower sitting a mere eight feet from the cliffs edge, the Bureau of Lighthouses finally opted to go to a single beacon in 1911 - selecting the tower in best condition to continue serving. The defunct two towers were sold in 1918, for $3.50 to a local family.
In 1923, the remaining Sister was in such poor condition that it was decommissioned and sold. Over the years, the heritage of the Three Sisters remained strong, and the National Park Service regained ownership of the original towers in 1975—reuniting them in their unique configuration. The Three Sisters underwent a half-million dollar restoration that was completed in 1989, and the unique trio remains a favorite attraction on Cape Cod.
Harbour Lights honors the Sisters with a triple sculpture vignette that is truly a one-of-a-kind achievement. Retailers holding a Younger Family In-Store Event will have this exclusive event piece available, and those attending an event may win a stunning, gold-plated reproduction of a Three Sisters Tower. The next Harbour Lights in-store events at Lighthouse Depot will be Saturday, May 22, with both Nancy Younger and Kim Andrews, and on Saturday, Sept. 18 with Bill Younger. Both will be exciting dates you’ll want to attend. Not only can you get an autographed replica, you may win that gold plated replica. Plan now to attend !!
This story appeared in the May 2004 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
All contents copyright © 1995 - 2004 by Lighthouse Digest®, Inc. No story, photograph, or any other item on this website may be reprinted or reproduced without the express permission of Lighthouse Digest. For contact information, click here.
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