This is a list of U.S. Coast Guard historical and heritage sites that are open to the public. This list includes National Historic Landmarks (NHL), the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), cutters, museums, monuments, memorials and more. It includes only NHL Lighthouses. There are many more resources dedicated to lighthouses, this list attempts to collect everything else in one list. The United States Lighthouse Society, Lighthouse Friends and the many Wikipedia pages dedicated lighthouses are a few of the many excellent resources for those interested in lighthouses. This list captures the most important historical features, that is the NHL and the often overlooked U.S. Coast Guard sites.
The Revenue Cutter Service is not as well represented in this list compared to the other constituent agencies; those other agencies had a head start. The service did not even have a proper name for three quarters of a century until 1863 when Congress voted to name them the "Revenue Cutter Service." [1] The service established it's first permanent shore infrastructure around 1900 at Curtis Bay, Maryland and it is still in operation today as the Coast Guard Yard.[2] Revenue cutters operated out of their respective port and were under the operational control of the Collector of Customs of that port.[1] Before Federal Income Tax, customs duties were the primary form of revenue, the customs house was often the hub of activity for the Federal Government in a harbor town. Beyond the customs house and perhaps a pier, it is unlikely that more shoreside infrastructure was required in the early days.
The Sites are mapped in Open Street Map, recommend searching with the name, city, and state.
City | State | Modern Name or Locale | Era | Historical Name | NHL | NHL/NRHP # | NHL/NRHP Date | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amagansett | New York | Amagansett U.S. Life-Saving and Coast Guard Station | Amagansett Life Saving Station | NRHP | 100002743 | 7/27/2018 | ||
Amesbury | Massachusetts | Lowell's Boat Shop | Lowell's Boat Shop | Yes | 88000706 | 6/21/1990 | ||
Barnstable | Massachusetts | US Coast Guard Heritage Museum | Barnstable Custom House | NRHP | 75000239 | 11/12/1975 | ||
Boston | Massachusetts | Boston Light | Boston Light | Yes | 66000133 | 1/29/1964 | ||
Boston | Massachusetts | Lightship Nantucket LV112 | Lightship Nantucket LV112 | Yes | 89002464 | 12/20/1989 | ||
Bristol | Rhode Island | Bristol Oyster Bar | Bristol Customshouse and Post Office | NRHP | 72000015 | 5/31/1972 | ||
Chatham | Massachusetts | Chatham Coast Guard Station | Chatham Light Station | NRHP | 87001501 | 6/15/1987 | Also: Mack Memorial | |
Fort Hancock | New Jersey | Gateway National Recreation Area | Sandy Hook Lighthouse | Yes | 66000468 | 1/29/1964 | ||
Highlands | New Jersey | Twin Lights State Historic Site | Navesink Light Station | Yes | 06000237 | 2/17/2006 | Also Spermaceti Cove 1849 Boathouse | |
Hull | Massachusetts | Hull Life Saving Museum | Point Allerton Lifesaving Station | NRHP | 81000110 | 6/11/1981 | ||
Kennebunkport | Maine | Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library | Kennebunkport Custom House | NRHP | 74000323 | 1/18/1974 | ||
Lubec | Maine | West Quoddy Station | West Quoddy Lifesaving Station | NRHP | 90000581 | 4/20/1990 | Also: West Quoddy Head Light and Coast Guard Trail | |
Madison | Connecticut | Lee's Academy | Lee's Academy | No | N/A | N/A | Also: Captain Frederick Lee monument | |
Marshfield | Massachusetts | Coast Guard Hill Recreation Area | Communication Station Boston (NMF) | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Monmouth Beach | New Jersey | Monmouth Beach Cultural Center, NJ | Monmouth Beach Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Montauk | New York | Montauk Point Lighthouse | Montauk Point Lighthouse | Yes | 69000142 | 3/2/2012 | ||
Mystic | Connecticut | Mystic Seaport Museum | New Shoreham Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A | Also: Brant Point Light replica | |
Nahant | Massachusetts | Nahant Life Saving Station | Nahant Life Saving Station | NRHP | 12000133 | 3/20/2012 | Now a special event venue | |
Nantucket | Massachusetts | Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum | Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum | No | N/A | N/A | Replica | |
Narragansett | Rhode Island | Coast Guard House | Narragansett Pier Life Saving Station | NRHP | 76000010 | 6/30/1976 | Restaurant | |
Nauset | Massachusetts | Coast Guard Beach | Nauset Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A | Operated by: Cape Cod National Seashore | |
New Bedford | Massachusetts | Custom House Square | New Bedford Custom House | Yes | 70000735 | 12/30/1970 | Part of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. The Custom House is still in use as a Federal office building. | |
New Bedford | Massachusetts | Coast Guard Park | National Lightship Sailors Memorial | No | N/A | N/A | ||
New London | Connecticut | Custom House Maritime Museum | New London Customhouse | NRHP | 70000706 | 10/15/1970 | Contains exhibits on the Amistad Affair | |
New London | Connecticut | Fort Trumbull State Park | Revenue Cutter School of Instruction | NRHP | 72001333 | 9/22/1972 | ||
New London | Connecticut | U.S. Coast Guard Academy | U.S. Coast Guard Museum | No | N/A | N/A | New museum in planning, see Projects Section below | |
New Shoreham | Rhode Island | Southeast Lighthouse | Block Island South East Light | Yes | 97001264 | 9/25/1997 | ||
New York | New York | Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House | New York Customhouse | Yes | 72000889 | 12/8/1976 | Contains the National Museum of the American Indian
Also: Coast Guard Memorial at The Battery | |
New York | New York | The Battery | Coast Guard Memorial | No | N/A | N/A | Also: Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House | |
New York | New York | Central Park | Alexander Hamilton Monument | No | N/A | N/A | ||
New York | New York | Harlem Heights | Alexander Hamilton Playground | No | N/A | N/A | ||
New York | New York | National Lighthouse Museum | U.S. Lighthouse Depot | NRHP | 83001785 | 9/15/1983 | ||
New York | New York | Pier 25 | USCGC Lilac | NRHP | 04001441 | 1/7/2005 | ||
New York | New York | Pier 66 | Lightship Frying Pan LV115 | NRHP | 98001615 | 1/28/1999 | ||
New York | New York | Hamilton Grange National Memorial | Hamilton Grange | Yes | 66000097 | 12/19/1960 | Located in St. Nicolas Park | |
New York | New York | South Street Seaport Museum | Lightship Ambrose LV87 | Yes | 84002758 | 4/11/1989 | ||
Newburyport | Massachusetts | Custom House Maritime Museum | Newburyport Custom House | NRHP | 71000089 | 2/25/1971 | Also: Coast Guard Bicentennial Monument and USCGC Evergreen Bell | |
Orleans | Massachusetts | Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG 36500 | CG-36500 | NRHP | 05000467 | 5/27/2005 | ||
Provincetown | Massachusetts | Old Harbor Life Saving Station | Old Harbor Life Saving Station | NRHP | 75000159 | 8/18/1975 | ||
Rockland | Maine | Maine Lighthouse Museum | Maine Lighthouse Museum | No | N/A | N/A | Also: Buoy Park | |
Rockport | Massachusetts | Cape Ann Light Station | Twin Lights, Thacher's Island | Yes | 71000355 | 1/3/2001 | ||
Sag Harbor | New York | Custom House | Sag Harbor Custom House | NRHP | 73001274 | 7/20/1973 | ||
Salem | Massachusetts | Salem Maritime National Historic Site | Salem Custom House | NRHP | 66000048 | 10/15/1966 | Also: Derby Wharf Light | |
Salem | Massachusetts | Winter Island Marine Park | Fort Pickering | NRHP | 73000320 | 2/8/1973 | Coast Guard Air Station Salem and Winter Island Light are located here but not open to the public | |
Truro | Massachusetts | Coast Guard Beach | Coast Guard Beach | No | N/A | N/A | Operated by: the Town of Truro, Massachusetts | |
Weehawken | New Jersey | Hamilton Park | Weehawken Dueling Grounds | No | N/A | N/A | Also: Alexander Hamilton Bust | |
Wellfleet | Massachusetts | The Beachcomber | Cahoons Hollow Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Westport | Massachusetts | Horseneck Point Lifesaving Station | Horseneck Point Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A |
City | State | Modern Name or Locale | Era | Historical Name | NHL | NHL/NRHP # | NHL/NRHP Date | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baton Rouge | Louisiana | USS Kidd Veterans Museum | USCGC White Alder Memorial | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Cairo | Illinois | Old Custom House | Cairo Custom House | NRHP | 73000689 | 7/24/1973 | ||
Chilo | Ohio | Chilo Lock 34 Museum | USCGC Wakerobin | Yes | N/A | N/A | Outdoor exhibit with only the Steam Engines on display | |
Clarksville | Tennessee | Customs House Museum | Clarksville Federal Building | NRHP | 72001246 | 6/13/1972 | ||
Louisville | Kentucky | Mayor Andrew Broaddus | Life Saving Station #10 | Yes | 89001446 | 6/30/1989 | ||
Wheeling | West Virginia | West Virginia Independence Hall | Wheeling Customs House | Yes | 70000660 | 6/20/1988 | ||
Winona | Minnesota | USCGC Winona Monument | USCGC Winona | No | N/A | N/A |
City | State | Modern Name or Locale | Era | Historical Name | NHL | NHL/NRHP # | NHL/NRHP Date | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allenhurst | New Jersey | Borough of Allenhurst, New Jersey | Borough of Allenhurst, New Jersey | No | N/A | N/A | The town is named for Abner Allen Life Saving Station Keeper | |
Allenhurst | New Jersey | Church of St. Andrew by the Sea | New Era | No | N/A | N/A | Outdoor exhibit with the ship's anchor and plaque displayed on the church grounds[3] | |
Annapolis | Maryland | Thomas Point Shoals Light Station | Thomas Point Shoals Light Station | Yes | 75000864 | 1/20/1999 | ||
Arlington | Virginia | Arlington National Cemetery | Coast Guard Memorial | No | N/A | N/A | Also: USS Serpens Memorial and CDR Elmer F. Stone Gravesite | |
Baltimore | Maryland | Inner Harbor | Lightship Chesapeake LV116 | Yes | 80000349 | 12/20/1989 | Also: USCGC Taney | |
Baltimore | Maryland | Inner Harbor | USCGC Taney | Yes | 88001826 | 6/7/1988 | Also: Chesapeake Lightship LV116 | |
Rehoboth Beach | Delaware | Delaware Seashore State Park | Indian River Life Saving Station | NRHP | 76000582 | 9/29/1976 | ||
Berlin | Maryland | Assateague Island National Seashore | Popes Island Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Buxton | North Carolina | Cape Hatteras National Seashore | Cape Hatteras Light Station | Yes | 78000266 | 8/5/1998 | ||
Duck | North Carolina | Life Saving Station | Caffeys Inlet Lifesaving Station | NRHP | 78001942 | 1/30/1978 | Casual dining on Sanderling Resort | |
Fort Belvoir | Virginia | National Museum of the United States Army | USS Joseph Dickman | No | N/A | N/A | Utah Beach landing depicted in the Global War Gallery | |
Hatteras | North Carolina | Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum | Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Kitty Hawk | North Carolina | Black Pelican Seafood Company | Kitty Hawk Life-Saving Station Boathouse | No | N/A | N/A | Restaurant | |
Kitty Hawk | North Carolina | Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station #7 | Kitty Hawk Life-Saving Station | NRHP | 84000073 | 10/11/1984 | Beach Cottage | |
Lewes | Delaware | Canal Front Park and Marina | Lightship WLV 539 | Yes | 89000006 | 6/14/2011 | Also: Lewes Life Saving Station | |
Longport | New Jersey | Longport Historical Museum | Great Egg Coast Guard Station | NRHP | 05000128 | 10/31/2005 | ||
Manasquan | New Jersey | Squan Beach Life Saving Station | Squan Beach Life Saving Station #9 | NRHP | 08000135 | 3/5/2008 | ||
Manteo | North Carolina | Collins Park | Pea Island Cookhouse | No | N/A | N/A | Also: Herbert M. Collins Boathouse and Richard Etheridge statue | |
Ocean City | Maryland | Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum | Ocean City Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. Life Saving Station 30 | Ocean City Life Saving Station | NRHP | 13000385 | 6/14/2013 | ||
Ocracoke | North Carolina | Ocracoke Preservation Society | Ocracoke Village | NRHP | 90001465 | 9/28/1990 | Numerous maritime and Coast Guard sites within the Ocracoke Historic District. The former Coast Guard Station is not open to the public. | |
Portsmouth | North Carolina | Portsmouth Village | Portsmouth Life Saving Station | NRHP | 78000267 | 11/29/1978 | ||
Portsmouth | Virginia | Lightship Portsmouth | Lightship Portsmouth LV101 | Yes | 89001080 | 5/5/1989 | ||
Rodanthe | North Carolina | Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site and Museum | Chicamacomico Life Saving Station | NRHP | 76000164 | 12/12/1976 | ||
Seaside Park | New Jersey | Coast Guard Station Trail[1] | U.S. Life Saving Station Station No. 14 | NRHP | 78001789 | 1/30/1978 | A short dune trail in Island Beach State Park near the historic life saving station, however, the station is not open to the public. | |
Stone Harbor Borough | New Jersey | Steven C. Ludlum American Legion Post 331 | U.S. Life-Saving Station No. 35 | NRHP | 08000970 | 10/8/2008 | Museum operated by the American Legion | |
Virginia Beach | Virginia | Cape Henry Lighthouse | Cape Henry Lighthouse | Yes | 66000910 | 1/29/1964 | Located on Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story, however the lighthouse is open accessible to the general public | |
Virginia Beach | Virginia | Virginia Beach Surf and Rescue Museum | Seatack Life Saving Station | NRHP | 79003304 | 7/11/1979 | ||
Washington | District of Columbia | Treasury Building | Treasury Building | Yes | 71001007 | 11/11/1971 | Tours available |
City | State | Modern Name or Locale | Era | Historical Name | NHL | NHL/NRHP # | NHL/NRHP Date | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mobile | Alabama | Cooper Riverside Park | U.S. Coast Guard Monument | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Mobile | Alabama | USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park | The Fallen Guardians Monument | No | N/A | N/A | Also: Grumman HU-16E Albatross: 2129 | |
Pensacola | Florida | Artel Gallery | US Customs House and Post Office | NRHP | 97000659 | 7/22/1997 |
No NHL, NRHP or other heritages sites open and accessible to the public.
No NHL, NRHP or other heritages sites open and accessible to the public.
Projects
editU.S. Coast Guard history and heritage under restoration or development. Unknown whether any of these are open to the public.
All Regions
editCity | State | Modern Name or Locale | Era | Historical Name | NHL | NHL/NRHP # | NHL/NRHP Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chatham | Massachusetts | Coast Guard Boathouse | Chatham Boathouse | No | N/A | N/A | To be located in Stage Harbor at 90 Bridge Street, expected completion in 2023 [5] | |
Kittery | Maine | Wood Island Life Saving Station | Wood Island Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A | ||
New London | Connecticut | The National Coast Guard Museum | The National Coast Guard Museum | No | N/A | N/A | To be located in Downtown New London, construction set to begin in 2022.[6] | |
Seattle | Washington | USCGC Tiburon | USCGC Tiburon | No | N/A | N/A | ||
Stockton | California | USCGC Fir | USCGC Fir | Yes | 92001880 | 04/27/1992 | ||
Vermillion | Michgain | Vermilion Life Saving Station | Vermilion Life Saving Station | No | N/A | N/A |
Helpful External Sites
editArchitecture - Coast Guard Stations
U.S. General Services Administration
Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
LUCY: NJ's Cultural Resources GIS Online Map Viewer
Maritime History of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS)
National Park Service Maritime Heritage Program
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places Map Viewer
Naval History and Heritage Command
U.S. Coast Guard Aviation History
U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Boundary Map Viewer
References
edit- ^ a b Ostrom, Thomas (2018). United States Revenue and Coast Guard Cutters in Naval Warfare, 1790-1918. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, Inc. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-4766-3075-5.
- ^ Yard Facilities Master Plan (PDF). Curtis Bay, Maryland: The Coast Guard Yard. 2019. p. 8.
- ^ "Allenhurst Police Unveil New Personalized Patch". The Coaster. November 27, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ "Coast Guard, local partners to participate in Eureka Coast Guard City Days". 11th District Public Affairs. August 2, 2018. p. 1. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ Fraser, Doug (2 April 2021). "Historic Coast Guard boathouse to return to Chatham as shellfish grow-out". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ "Coast Guard Museum Gets Boost to Begin Summer Construction". U.S. News and World Report. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.