Built in 1797, Highland Lighthouse (also known as Cape Cod Light) was the 20th lighthouse to be built in the United States. It is located in Truro within the National Seashore Park, along the outer Cape Cod coast which was one of the most dangerous waters during our country’s early history.

This is a wonderful way to spend a day on Cape Cod!  Highland Lighthouse grounds are open year round. But if you want to walk up in the tower, you should probably visit from the middle of May to the Middle of October.  Although their website implies if you contact them, they’ll make arrangements for you. Not only can you visit a lighthouse, but the National Seashore Park, which protects about 27,000 acres of coastal lands from Truro to Provincetown.

Leo and I pack a sandwich and a soda along with our binoculars to spend the day hiking around the National Seashore. The coast is always changing as are the birds and animals. If we have visitors and the lighthouse is open, we take them. We never tire of the views. Admission is only $4 and it supports the Highland Lighthouse maintenance. The folks who give the tours are local historians passionate about lighthouses and local history. It’s always a little different. We always learn something new either from the guides or our fellow visitors.
Some More History. When Highland Lighthouse was first built the octagon wooden lighthouse tower stood 45 feet high on a stone foundation. The latern was 6 feet wide and 8 feet high. It was the first lighthouse in the country to use an eclipser. Because of this mariners could easily tell Highland Lighthouse from others in the area.

Lighthouses were difficult to maintain and Highland Lighthouse was no exception. Isaac Small, the original lighthouse keeper, began complaining in 1812 that the the lighthouse and its eclipser lens, along with the lighthouse keeper quarters were falling apart. (These complaints eventually got him fired!)

It took until 1831 for the U.S. government (who owned all the lighthouses) to agree to reconstruct Highland Lighthouse. But a disagreement soon erupted over which lantern design was appropriate. Finally in 1851 lighthouse renovations were completed with a new first-order Frensel lense. When it was electrified in 1932, it become the strongest lighthouse lantern in the United States. It was replaced with a modern aerobeacon in the 1950’s.

If it’s Sunday morning, then you’ll usually find Leo and me at Paul’s Bean and Bagel in the Sandwich Village. But this is after we do our miles. Walking in our historic Town Center is a delight that I never tire of and never take for granted.

Historic preservation has deep roots in Sandwich. Our original historic district inlcuded only the immediate town center and was one of the first historic districts in the United States. In Massachusetts I believe the Beacan Hill Historic District in Boston was first, Nantucket was second, and I’m proud to say that Sandwich was third. This all occurred in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.

During the Cape’s first growth spurt in the 1960’s a unique historic preservation concept was formed. A belief that the approaches and areas surrounding an historic site or building are important in preserving the ambiance of that historic site or building. And that this really didn’t recognize town borders. That a regional approach was necessary to preserve our unique architecture and towns. Cape Cod residents at that time became acutely aware of the responsibilty of preserving historic features of some of the oldest communities in America. (Sandwich the oldest town on Cape Cod was founded in 1637.) This lead to the formation of the Old King’s Highway District, which ran from the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne to Provincetown and encompassed every town along Route 6-A. It was the largest and most complex Historic District in the United States.

If you think that this was excessive. When you’re visiting Cape Cod, compare growth and development along Route 6-A to the north with that of Route 28 to the south. Residents in the northern part of Cape Cod observed the southern growth pattern and had no desire to repeat it.

By the way, a big thank you to the ever patient planning consultant, Philip B. Herr, a MIT professor and pioneer planner who helped design the initial district. I’ve lost touch with him, but he should be remembered for his efforts.

So please come to Sandwich and visit our Town Center and enjoy the historic ambiance. The Bean and Bagel is a great place for a cup of coffee and bowl of chili. There are always local newspapers to read. If you see a couple at the corner window table passionately debating an article, it might just be me and Leo!

Today is a gorgeous, mild winter day on Cape Cod - and a fabulous change from the snow-freeze-ice pattern that we’ve been in since before Christmas. (It’s a myth that it never snows on Cape Cod.) So I got up early and laced up my sneakers and took off for a walk. I live about a mile from the Sandwich Marina which is right on the Cape Cod Canal. It’s a winter treat to be able to walk in this direction. Usually the winter wind blows too cold for me to choose this route and I walk in the Sandwich Town Square area. I’m not the kind of person who gets in my car to drive some where so I can walk.

Coffee One of my favorite places to stop in for coffee is Marylou’s. The Marylou’s coffee chain is a Massachusetts phenom. All of the coffee chops are bright pink and quite frankly their barristas are gorgeous. I’ve heard it called “Hooters for the Coffee Lover.” I’m not a guy, but I know the coffee and pastries are excellent.  There’s also a Dunkin Donuts on Route 6-A. Right now we don’t have a Starbucks in Sandwich. Though the rumor is that there will be one at the Stop and Shop grocery store, which is just a stones throw from the Sandwich Marina.

On summer days, I’ll often sit on a bench at the marina and watch the boats come and go - pretend I’m the one on vacation. But today isn’t that warm so I just kept moving and kept my heart rate up. Even in the winter, the Marina and Canal is a busy place. I’m not the only one who walks around here. And I see all the regulars. I also see a huge number of birds. I love watching them, but despite my efforts I can’t identify them. Because Cape Cod juts out into the ocean, we get a lot of birds stopping in during their migration. They often become local celebreties during their brief stays.