Derby Wharf Light

Salem, Massachusetts | Historic lighthouse

Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterAccess: verify before visiting

Derby Wharf Light, Salem, Massachusetts — Photo: US Coast Guard · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons. Not a current-conditions photo.

About this lighthouse

The U.S. Coast Guard lists Derby Wharf Light in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “White square tower”. Light List entries describe the light for mariners; they do not say whether the site is open to visitors.

The structure is recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. A National Register listing documents historic significance. It does not mean the public can visit.

Awaiting verification: Wikidata gives 1871 as the year this station or structure was established. We have not yet confirmed this against a primary source, so it is not shown as a fact. See the Wikidata lead.

Facts panel

Sourced facts about Derby Wharf Light
Navigation status	Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 10129) [1]
Light characteristic	Fl R 6s [1]
Focal height	25 ft above water [1]
Nominal range	4 nautical miles [1]
Structure (USCG description)	White square tower. [1]
National Register	Listed as “Derby Wharf Light Station” (NRIS 87001466), NPGallery record dated 6/15/1987 [2]
NRHP significant years	1877 [2]
NRHP areas of significance	Engineering Transportation Architecture Maritime History [2]
County	Essex County
Coordinates	42.51656, -70.88358 [3]

Getting there

Directions should target a legal public viewing location. We have not verified a public viewpoint or parking area for this light yet, so check the official source before you go.

Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open larger map. The pin marks the lighthouse position, not a parking area or a permitted viewpoint.

Accessibility

We have no verified accessibility information for this site yet. Contact the site manager before your visit if you need step-free access.

Nearby lights

Straight-line distance between lighthouse positions, not a driving time or route.

Fort Pickering Light — 1.1 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Hospital Point Range Rear Light — 2.2 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Hospital Point Range Front Light — 2.5 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Marblehead Light — 2.7 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Bakers Island Light — 5.2 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)

Sources

Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 10129 “Derby Wharf Light” — U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (weekly edition 11/11/2026). https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/weekly-light-lists (checked 2026-11-11)
National Register of Historic Places record 87001466: “Derby Wharf Light Station” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/87001466 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikidata item Q5261523 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5261523 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derby_Wharf_Light (checked 2026-11-11)

Last checked November 11, 2026. Found an error or a closure? Send a correction.