You’ll see… Hospital Point!

Hospital Point in Beverly got its name from a smallpox hospital built on the site in 1801. Used as a military barracks during the War of 1812, the hospital burned down in 1849. The lighthouse was first lit in 1872, around the same time that the Derby Wharf and Winter Island lights were built, in an effort to safely guide vessels into Salem and Beverly Harbors. In 1927, a rear range light was installed in the steeple of Beverly’s First Baptist Church, approximately one mile distant. It is still lit nightly. The two lights are vertically aligned for vessels coming from Baker’s Island toward Beverly.

Owned by the Coast Guard, Hospital Point Light is an active aid to navigation and is closed to the public. The cottage next to the light is used as the residence of the Commandant of the First Coast Guard District, who is a Rear Admiral.

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