The Quadricentennial speaks to the Soul of Salem. It is also one of the places written into my family’s story. This year (2026) is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Salem. (Quadricentennial equals 400 yrs)

Salem’s legacy is inseparable from the sea. Serving as a National Park Ranger at Salem Maritime National Historic Site gave me a front-row seat to the history of the privateers and merchants who made this city a global powerhouse.

As Salem marks its Quadricentennial, we aren’t just celebrating 400 years of history; we are honoring the maritime fortune that built this city. To protect that massive wealth—the spice-laden holds, and the privateer fleets—Salem’s ship owners successfully lobbied for a line of coastal defenses.

While there are five primary ‘guardians’ watching over Salem’s outer and inner harbor, this guide focuses on the two standing furthest out at the edge of the harbor. We will start our journey at the remote Baker Island Light, before heading back toward the coast to explore the history of Hospital Point Lighthouse in Beverly. Check this list of my other articles on Lighthouses.

Five Lighthouses within Five miles

None of these lighthouses were around 334 years ago during the Witch Trials (most people today come for the haunting fun of the “witches”); the lighthouses were constructed mostly in the 1800’s.

• Baker Island Lighthouse (1820), The remote guardian at the harbor’s edge
• Hospital Point Lighthouse (1872), The mainland guide on the Beverly shore.
• Derby Wharf Lighthouse (1871)
• Fort Pickering Lighthouse (1871)
• Marblehead Lighthouse (1896)

Baker Island Lighthouse(s), “Ma and Pa” (1791, 1820)

Baker Island Station was established on Baker Island in 1791. A day marker was established on Baker’s Island. It was replaced by twin lights atop the keeper’s dwelling at each end in 1798. Over the years, the twin towers were built, moving the lights from the light keepers’ homes to actual lighthouses. The taller was referred to as Mr. or Pa, and the shorter as Mr.s or Ma. In 1926, the shorter tower was removed. [1] [Interestingly, 2026 marks exactly one century since the ‘Ma’ light was retired, leaving the ‘Pa’ tower to stand alone.]

This is the furthest one away from Salem, and driving to it is… problematic. You see, there are no roads, so you have to visit the Salem Armory on New Liberty St. and pay for a tour, or go to the Essex Heritage site online and sign up. Check the website to check cost and availability (Sundays from 14 June through 6 September only).

Visiting Baker Island during the Quadricentennial in 2026

If you take the Ferry to or from Boston, you might capture an image like I did one year. A quick storm late in the afternoon passed over Salem, and the sun came out just as we left the dock in Salem Harbor. I know that as the raindrops start to fade, I need to have my camera ready. IF… if a rainbow will happen, it will be brief and spectacular.

[Pro-tip*} I always need to remind people that even if it’s 80+ degrees back in Salem (on land) it may feel like 60-65 degrees out on the water! As I noted above, there are no other authorized tours of Baker Island, and by landing here, you do so at your own risk.

Visiting Baker Island Lighthouse

Lisa and I visited the island only once as part of the 2.5-hour lighthouse tour. (Currently, the only way for the public to access the island is aboard the landing craft, Naumkeag. Naumkeag departs (via tours) from the Salem Ferry Dock at 10 Blaney Street. [2]) We left the Ferry dock at Blaney Street Wharf and passed by Winter Island’s Fort Pickering Lighthouse.

These two lighthouses won’t be covered in this article, but as you can see, they are not far apart. Fort Pickering Light in the foreground and Hospital Point Light over Beverly are in the background.

[Pro-tip*} I always need to remind people that even if it’s 80+ degrees back in Salem (on land) it may feel like 60-65 degrees out on the water! As I noted above, there are no other authorized tours of Baker Island, and by landing here, you do so at your own risk.

You are usually on the island for an hour and a half, and your guide will tell you about the different buildings, and soon enough, you arrive at the Lightheepers’ house with the lighthouse behind it.

A gallery of images from the Island

Old man and the sea

As we pulled away from the landing on the Naumkeag, I caught sight of a local lobsterman in his small whaler, bright yellow waders contrasting against the deep blue. He was working the shallows just off the island’s rocky edge, checking his traps under the watchful eye of the light. It was a scene straight out of The Old Man and the Sea, a reminder that while these lighthouses are historic monuments to us, they are still active, daily partners for those who make their living on the North Shore.

For more history on Baker Island Lighthouse, check out NELights

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Hospital Point Lighthouse, Beverly, Massachusetts

Leaving the rocky isolation of Baker Island behind, the Naumkeag turns its bow back toward the inner harbor. As the distant silhouette of the island fades, a new guardian begins to take shape on the Beverly shoreline.

Hospital Point Lighthouse offers a completely different experience than its offshore siblings. Named for the smallpox hospital that stood here during the Revolutionary War, this light serves a very specific purpose for those heading into Beverly Harbor. While Baker and Fort Pickering guided ships into Salem, Hospital Point was designed to be the ‘front range’ light for Beverly.

When a captain aligned this beacon with the light in the steeple of the First Baptist Church, they knew they were safely in the center of the deep-water channel. It remains a steady, land-based partner to the more rugged lights of the outer sound.

A more approachable lighthouse

Unlike the logistical challenge of reaching Baker Island, Hospital Point is refreshingly accessible. A short drive over the bridge into Beverly brings you to Bayview Avenue, where the lighthouse sits tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood. It’s a striking contrast: one guardian requires a landing craft and a scheduled tour, while the other is a neighbor you can visit on a whim for a sunset shoot.

Or if you want to visit the Salem Willows, you can view it from there. (Again, a bit of a telephoto lens is a plus). I’ve even flown my drone from the willows and captured the lighthouse in the late afternoon light.

From a photographer’s perspective, this light is a gift that keeps giving. If you want to feel the height of the tower, stand at the base in Beverly. But for a true maritime feel, I highly recommend bringing a long lens to the Salem Willows.

Looking across the water from the Willows allows you to compress the distance, framing the lighthouse against the rugged North Shore coastline. Of course, nothing beats the view from the deck of a boat, where you can truly appreciate how it sits as a sentinel over the harbor entrance.

As the sun begins to dip toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the Beverly shore, it’s easy to see why these ‘Guardians’ have captured our imagination for centuries. They are more than just stone and light; they are the silent witnesses to Salem’s 400-year evolution from a colonial outpost to a global maritime powerhouse.

While Baker Island and Hospital Point offer two distinct perspectives on the harbor, our journey through the Quadricentennial is just beginning. In my next post, we’ll cross the harbor to explore the most unique structure in the ‘Five Guardians’ fleet—the skeletal, iron-clad beauty of the Marblehead Lighthouse. Until then, keep your cameras ready and your eyes on the horizon

*Footnotes
[1] Buckler, Melissa. “Baker Island Light (Ma and Pa).” U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office. Researched and drafted for the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society. View Source
[2] https://www.bakersislandlight.org/visit/island-and-harbor-tours/

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