Wing’s Neck Lighthouse

Wing’s Neck Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse in Bourne, Massachusetts’ Pocasset village. At the tip of the Wing’s Neck peninsula, on Wing’s Neck Road, sits the lighthouse. The peninsula sits between the Hog Island Channel to the west and Pocasset Harbor to the east. It is also located at the western entrance to the Cape Cod Canal.

In 1849, the first lighthouse was built on the site to aid in the navigation of considerable maritime traffic through Buzzards Bay to Wareham and Sandwich ports. In 1878, a fire destroyed the first lighthouse, which was a stone keeper’s residence with a wood-frame tower above.

The current lighthouse and keeper’s house were erected in 1889, and it is the only intact wood-frame lighthouse and keeper’s house from that era connected by a covered walkway. The lighthouse was instrumental in guiding marine traffic in Buzzards Bay as well as ships safely through the Cape Cod Canal, which opened in 1914.

Because of the considerable shipping in the Cape Cod Canal, Wings Neck was considered one of the most significant lighthouses on the Atlantic Coast for many years, but by 1943, new technology had rendered the lighthouse obsolete. In 1947, the state sold the lighthouse and land to Frank and Irene Flanagan. They adored the place and lived happily ever after until Irene passed in 1999. In 1987, the lighthouse was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places.

The keeper’s cottage was entirely refurbished in 2003 and is now available for weekly rentals throughout the year. It’s been posted on Airbnb since October 2012 and may be rented at airbnb.com/rooms/723702.

Looking for more great spots to explore in Massachusetts? Check out the GoXplr Massachusetts Map at goxplr.com/map/massachusetts.

Lighthouse Specs

• Originally constructed: 1849
• Current tower constructed: 1889
• First lit: 1889 (current structure)
• Construction: Wood
• Tower shape: Hexagonal
• Height: 32 feet (9.7 m)
• Focal height: 36 feet (11 m)
• Markings: White with black lantern
• Characteristic: N/A
• Range: N/A
• Status: Deactivated – Privately Owned
• NRHP number: 87001503

Location

• Address: 1 Lighthouse Ln
• Town: Pocasset
• State: Massachusetts
• GPS: Lat 41.68043 Lng -70.66103
• Parking notes: Wings Neck Lighthouse is private and so is the neighborhood it is located within. Visitors can drive to the gates at the end of Wings Neck Rd and see the lighthouse from there. Please respect the rules and do not enter the lighthouse property.
• Parking directions: HERE
• Location directions: HERE

External Website: https://wingsnecklighthouse.org/