The history of Brant Point Light is as colorful as the majestic Nantucket Harbor on which it sits. Brant Point Light is the second oldest lighthouse station in America– exceeded only by Boston Light. Since it was placed in service in 1746, there have been eight previous sentinels at Brant Point, making it the most moved and rebuilt lighthouse in the country.

The first structure, made of wood, burned down in 1757, possibly from an oil fire. The lighthouse was again built of wood, and in 1774, it was destroyed by a storm that may have been a hurricane. The third lighthouse was built and paid for by a tax on shippers, but a fire also destroyed it in 1783.

Storms and fires continued to end the lighthouse service at Brant Point over the next seven decades. Finally, in 1856, an appropriation of $15,000 resulted in construction of a 47-foot brick tower and brick keepers dwelling. The new structure was outfitted with a fourth order Fresnel lens with a fixed red light. This lighthouse still stands today, but the story does not end there.

The 1856 lighthouse was discontinued in 1900 as a result of shifts in the channel, and for a time, the red light was shone from atop a pole. In 1901, the present Brant Point Light was built 596 feet east of the 1856 sentinel. It was fitted with a fifth order lens emitting a white light. However, the beacon was changed to red in 1933 to avoid confusion with house lights.

Still threatened by the elements, 500 tons of riprap was deposited on the surrounding beach. In 1983, the Coast Guard renovated the entire Brant Point complex.

The lighthouse was automated in 1965 and is an active aid to navigation. It remains under ownership of the USCG, and is not open to the public. The keepers quarters are used as Coast Guard housing.

Listed as a National Historic Site, Brant Point has yet another distinction among its peers. Its oscillating red light shines from only 26 feet above sea level, making Brant Point one of the shortest lighthouses in New England, but a well-established landmark for visitors to Nantucket, who eagerly watch for their ferry to ‘round Brant Point!’