In the early 1700s, the small town at the upper end of Cape Cod was known as Dangerfield before changing it to Truro. It earned the name because of the hazards posed by the Eastern shores of the Cape. No less than George Washington signed the bill authorizing the construction of the Highland Lighthouse in 1795, becoming the first of approximately 16 on the Cape. More notable, it was only the 7th LH constructed by the US Government. Personally, I find the name rather confusing. I have always known the light as the Cape Cod LH, but currently, all the literature calls it the Highland Light as it is located on the highlands of Truro with the light focal height at 170 ft, allowing it to shine 21 miles with its progression of First Order lanterns.

Henry David Thoreau, a frequent visitor to the Highland Light, described the Cape as a lonely, clenched fist extending 25 miles into the ocean and “boxing with the northeastern storms.” The Cape has proven to be a Dangerfield as more than 3,000 shipwrecks have occurred in this area over the 300 years of recorded history. Giving rise to the ferocity of the North Atlantic, in 1806, the original brick tower was constructed 510 ft from the ocean cliff; however, by 1989, that distance had shrunken to 129 ft, prompting the government to move it back 450 ft in 1996 to its current location.

I was taking advantage of meetings my wife was having on the East Coast, so I slipped away to Cape Cod to revisit some of my favorite lighthouses and scenery. Up early for the 21-mile drive to the Highland Light, I arrived during Nautical Twilight to capture this image of the lighthouse and the waning crescent moon only a couple of days before the new moon. I just love those times when the sky is clear enough to make out the full moon in addition to its crescent. Looking East, one can see the brightening sky of an early September day.