Mayo Beach

First Mayo Beach Lighthouse

First Maybo Beach Lighthouse-1838

In 1837 the United States government purchased land on “Mayo’s Beach” from Justin & Paulina Taylor for $80. This is the property between the beach and Kendrick Ave. just beyond the west end of the Mayo Beach parking lot, where the white house (the second keeper’s house) stands today.

In the same year, Congress appropriated $1,000 for the purpose of erecting a lighthouse on Mayo Beach to guide ships into Wellfleet harbor.
Evidently $1,000 was not enough, even 180 years ago, as the Barnstable Patriot reported (January 31, 1838) that completion of the lighthouse on Mayo Beach “has been interrupted by a deficiency of funds.”

“And with regard to the light house at Wellfleet, for which only $1000 was assigned and on the strength of which the work was, perhaps prematurely, commenced, it is now stated that it cannot be prosecuted, to completion without an additional appropriation of at least $4000.”

Congress responded in 1838 with this appropriation: “For completing the light-house on Mayo beach, in Wellfleet bay, two thousand dollars.” Although this was half the amount the Patriot suggested was needed, it was enough to result in commissioning the first Mayo Beach lighthouse in 1838 with its central light accessible from within the keeper’s house.
However, reports by the first light keeper (Joseph Holbrook, 1838-1865) indicated the construction was not very good, and its location proved to be too close to the water resulting in the cellar often being flooded.

Billingsgate

Billingsgate Island – September 1890

Billingsgate Island [Photograph]. (1890, September). Retrieved from https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/xg94j8101