Watercolor painting of Plymouth Lighthouse in Plymouth, Massachusetts during Winter
“Plymouth Lighthouse in Winter” 8×10 Watercolor on Paper.
Original Artwork is Sold. Fine Art prints Available.
Plymouth Lighthouse, also known as Gurnet Light overlooks Plymouth harbor in Massachusetts. It is only accessible by going through the neighboring town of Duxbury, which I did on a beautiful, sunny day in mid-Winter.
This painting shows the third version of Plymouth Light. The first was built in 1768 but was destroyed by fire in 1801. A new pair of lighthouses were built but those had to be rebuilt again in 1842. They were rebuilt as a pair but the northeast tower was torn down shortly after the Cape Cod Canal opened in 1914. The remaining tower was spared as it was a useful navigational aid for vessels using the canal.
In 1998 the lighthouse was moved 140 feet inland to protect it from beach erosion.
Plymouth (Gurnet) Lighthouse has two noteworthy distinctions: It is the oldest wooden lighthouse in the U.S. It was also home to America’s first female lighthouse keeper, Hannah Thomas. Hannah took over as lighthouse keeper from her husband John after he enlisted in the Continental Army in 1776. John died in Quebec later that year from smallpox. Hannah stayed on as lightkeeper for another 10 years. Eventually their son, also named John, became the keeper in 1890.
About the Artwork
I painted this small watercolor from photos I took while visiting the site in 2008. The original artwork was sold shortly after. Fine art prints are still available at my online print store, https://fineartnewengland.pixels.com.