Thacher Island is located 1.5 miles off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts. European visitors to the island date back to Samuel de Champlain in 1605 and Captain John Smith in 1614. The island is named for Anthony Thacher whose vessel, the "Watch and Wait", was wrecked in a ferocious storm near the island in 1635. Thacher and his wife were the only survivors. 21 people died including 4 of Thacher's children from a previous marriage. The General Court awarded the island to Anthony Thacher to recompense him for his losses.
Under British rule, twin lighthouses were built on the island in 1771. The present lighthouses on the island were built in 1861. The north light was deactivated in 1932. It was relighted as a private aid in 1989. The south light was automated in 1980. The northern 22 acres of the 52 acre island is now a National Wildlife Refuge. All photographs taken on Thacher Island.
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