Join us for a special talk with Dan May, RADM, USCG (ret.).

Thursday, July 16, 2026, from 7:00-8:00PM at PITA Hall, 8 Plum Island Turnpike Newbury, MA 01951

History of the Plum Island Light Lens - 150 Years of Service

Friends of Plum Island Light invite the general public to an exciting talk with Board member Dan May, RADM, USCG (ret.). 

History of the Plum Island Light Lens - 150 Years of Service: 

Last year, when the Fresnel lens that currently operates in our Plum Island lighthouse was cleaned and serviced, we discovered its manufacturer and likely the time period it was made in Paris, France. It turns out the lens is much older than originally thought and it has a unique history of being one of the oldest lenses still in use in the United States! Board member, Retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral Dan May, who helped coordinate the service & cleaning of the lens last summer will present a fun evening of the early history of Fresnel lenses and the unique history of the Plum Island lens recently discovered. Come share the evening with us and learn the history of these extraordinary navigational devices, the rich history of the manufacturers that created them and rare details of our own lens here at Plum Island Light!