watercolor

11x17 (18x24 matted) print

What in the world is it that draws us to lighthouses? Few of us have ever visited one, fewer still have been saved at sea by a lighthouse beacon. Lighthouses are metaphors for being kept safe from harm, for guidance, and for safety in stormy times of life. And they are just plain romantic; dependable, and permanent, and straightforward, just what we look for in others. 

The split-granite block lighthouse was completed and activated in 1811. In its adjacent house lived the lighthouse keeper, Captain Simeon Bates with his wife and nine children. 

During the War of 1812, Bates's young daughters, Rebecca and Abigail hid behind some trees playing fife and drum when they saw two British barges approaching. The British mistook them for an entire regiment. The girls' courageous act has been recorded in many history books.

In 1968 the town awarded custody and administration of the Lighthouse to the Scituate Historical Society.