[2][3] When the first Congress of the newly formed United States government met in 1789, one of its first acts was to assume responsibility for lighthouses and other aids to navigation along the country's coastline.

The location, size, design, and construction of each lighthouse was considered of such vital importance, that the decision-making process involved the highest officials, including the President.

In 1796, Massachusetts State Senator, Peleg Coffin, requested a lighthouse be installed on Martha's Vineyard above the Gay Head cliffs overlooking a dangerous section of underwater rocks known as "Devil's Bridge."

Senator Peleg's request to his Congressman in Washington was substantiated by the maritime traffic navigating the waters between Gay Head and the Elizabeth Islands, which would eventually be reported in a late 1800s Massachusetts study at 80,000 vessels annually.

In 1799, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts deeded two acres and four rods to the Federal Government for the purpose of building a lighthouse overlooking the clay cliffs and Devil's Bridge.

Charles Edward Banks, who published "The history of Martha's Vineyard" in 1911 wrote, "This wooden tower lasted sixty years, and the site of it, nearer the brow of the cliffs than the present one, can be seen yet in a circular elevation of the soil.

A section of Rotch's letter states: "As this light house is in a neighborhood of peaceful natives who are industrious and temperate, it is the fear of some of the most considerate that the Superintendent [Keeper of the lighthouse] may injure them by selling them liquor and, feeling much concern for that people, we hope it will meet thy views to have him put under positive restrictions thereupon.

The first Gay Head Light "...was a white flash, was produced by fourteen lamps burning sperm oil, and it is part of tradition of the place that there was quite as much smoke as flame resulting from the combustion of this illuminant.

The revolving illuminating apparatus consisted of sperm whale oil lamps placed on circular service tables attached to a Pedestal rotated by wooden clockwork.

Keeper Skiff's letter read as follows: "Sir: Clay and Oker of different colours from which this place derived its name ascend in a Sheet of wind from the high Clifts and catch on the light House Glass, which often requires cleaning on the outside – tedious service in cold weather, and additional to what is necessary in any other part of the Massachusetts.

In June 1766, the New York Mercury reported: "The 26th Instant, the Lighthouse at Sandy Hook was struck by Lightning, and twenty panes of the Glass Lanthorn broke to pieces; the chimney and Porch belonging to the kitchen was broken down, and some people that were in the House received a little Hurt, but are since recovered.

In 1852, the Federal Lighthouse Board issued a 760-page report stating that Gay Head Lighthouse was “not second to any on the eastern coast, and should be fitted, without delay, with a first-order illuminating apparatus.” In 1854, just two weeks after the old wooden Gay Head Light structure was refitted with the new lighting apparatus – Congress approved $30,000 for the construction of a new brick tower to fit a first-order Fresnel Lens, and to build a new keeper's residence also made of brick.

It was equipped with a whale oil fired first-order Fresnel Lens standing about 12 feet (4 m) tall; weighing several tons (tonnes); and containing 1,008 hand-made crystal prisms.

As well, it remains a mystery as to how the early lighthouse builders lifted and emplaced the huge, custom-carved brownstone pieces, as well as the Fresnel lens itself and its heavy cast iron operating apparatus and the internal staircase with its cast-iron landings.

Relative to the subject of lighthouse illuminants – the evolution of fuels used in America's lights went as follows: wood fires and candles were replaced by whale oil with solid wicks.

Due to US Coast Guard Congressional funding shortages through the 1970s and early 1980s, several lighthouses around the United States were designated for destruction because the structures were expensive to maintain, and most no longer served as vital aids to navigation.

In 1984, VERI received the support of Senator Edward Kennedy and Congressman Gerry Studds during and after the Congressional hearings to save the three island lighthouses from being dismantled and/or razed.

[13] This lighthouse license gave complete control over the management and maintenance of Gay Head Light structure (except the aide to navigation) and its surrounding grounds.

[13] The proceeds from the lighthouse benefits were applied to a major restoration of the Gay Head Light, which included: emergency pointing of brick walls; removal of pervasive toxic mold growing on the brick interior walls; installing new windows on the ground floor and two landing levels; replacing broken plate glass and sealing roof leaks in the lighting room; restoration of hardwood staircase rail; sandblasting, sealing, and painting of the historic rusted cast-iron spiral staircase and its three-story internal metal flooring and support structure.

Special steamship excursions from the Oak Bluffs Wharf took tourists to the Steamboat Landing dock below the Gay Head Cliffs, where waiting oxcarts provided transport to the lighthouse.

Of all the heavenly phenomena that I have had the good fortune to witness — borealis lights, mock suns, or meteoric showers — I have never seen anything that in mystic splendor equaled this trick of the magic lantern at Gay Head."

Public access was also documented by historian Edward Rowe Snow, who mentioned how Principal Keeper, Charles W. Vanderhoop, and his assistant, Max Attaquin, "...probably took one-third of a million visitors to the top of Gay Head Light between 1910 and 1933."

In 1985, Vineyard Environmental Research, Institute (VERI), received a 35-year license from the United States Coast Guard to maintain the Gay Head Lighthouse and its surrounding real estate.

The Gay Head Light was reopened to the public in 1986 for sunsets on weekends; island school children visits; special events and tours, and weddings.

[18] Today the Gay Head Light is managed by the Martha's Vineyard Museum and is open to the public during the summer season, on special holidays, and for weddings and other private functions.

In August, 2009, Principal Keeper, Joan LeLacheur, gave President Barack Obama and his family a private tour during their vacation on Martha's Vineyard.

[20] Through dedicated love, labor, and sacrifice of the Martha's Vineyard Community, the Gay Head Light survives today as an iconic symbol of the island's maritime history.

[1] This historic designation was accomplished while VERI was repairing and restoring the Gay Head Light under its United States Coast Guard License Number DTCGZ71101-85-RP-007L.

The introduction to this notice reads as follows: "The light station described on the attached sheet has been determined to be excess to the needs of the United States Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security.

To minimize erosion of the cliffs due to potential drainage through disturbed soils of the excavated area - semi-impervious hardener was compacted (see photo foreground) with heavy vibrating rollers.