[4] This tower's light was first lit on November 21, 1816, and kept by Samuel Peak; he was succeeded by his son John, who remained at the station until its closure.

[3] Traffic through the port was heavy, and it was decided to build an offshore tower to replace a lightship at a nearby shoal.

[5] The abandoned tower remained standing at the point, and with vandalism and other damage there was some thought of demolishing it, though this never came to pass.

[3] In 1882 Great Island was purchased by Charles B. Cory, the ornithologist, for use as a game preserve and bird sanctuary.

[4] Cory lost his fortune in a stock market crash, and in 1914 he sold the land to Malcolm Greene Chace, a banker from Rhode Island; the property containing the old light has remained in the family since.