Oils rendering (digital)
Martha's Vineyard
Massachusetts

History:
The original Gay Head Lighthouse was authorized by President John Adams in 1796, and it was the first federally authorized lighthouse in the newly formed United States of America. Congress granted the Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, $570 to complete the work. Paul Revere provided copper and tin to augment the weatherproofing of the Lighthouse. The work was completed in 1799 and the Light was turned on that year for the first time. It has been rebuilt several times over the course of its existence. It remains a working lighthouse, as this picture attests.