5. Point Gammon Light

Tour the Villages
West Yarmouth

Point Gammon Light

Great Island is home to Yarmouth's only lighthouse, Point Gammon. Built in 1816, the stone lighthouse was kept by Samuel Peak, who with his wife and nine children lived in an adjacent keeper's cottage. When Samuel Peak died in 1826, the light was taken over by his son, John. John Peak remained as keeper of the light until it was decommissioned in 1859 and replaced by Bishop and Clerk's light, farther out in Nantucket Sound. After 1859 the light fell into disrepair. When Charles B. Cory purchased the property in 1882, he and his wife repaired the lighthouse and created a viewing platform at the top so that their friends might enjoy the stunning ocean views. The Cory's also moved the stone keeper's cottage closer to their home and used it as a museum for their butterfly collection. Both the light and the keeper's cottage still stand on Great Island today.