Mention Cape Cod and most people immediately think of the peninsula's distinctive shape, summer vacations, fishing and whaling towns, and seaside cottages. With its 550 miles of coastline, the sea has been an integral part of its history ever since the Pilgrims arrived in 1620.
   Although the days when mariners relied on a string of shoreline sentinals for safe navigation are over, lighthouses remain part of the lure and charm of the area. This seafaring past is celebrated each year at the Cape Cod Maritime Days Festival in Hyannis. Visitors may enjoy all these reminders of a bygone era, and Cape Cod's line of a dozen lighthouses spaced out along its lengthy coastline.
   One of the most unique light stations at Nauset began with a trio of 15 foot high masonry towers, built just 150 feet apart in 1838. Because of their distinct white towers and black lantern rooms, they quickly took on the name of Three Sisters. Due to on-going erosion of the Nauset Cliffs, the Lighthouse Board ordered three new portable wooden towers for the Nauset Beach Light Station. The lanterns from the brick towers were moved to the new lights on April 25, 1892.
   By 1911, steady erosion prompted movers to push the central tower inland to the keeper's quarters. In the early 1900s, most single lighthouses were now capable of broadcasting unique flashing patterns and colors. Seeing no need to keep all three towers at the Nauset Beach location, the two remaining towers were sold, becoming summer cottages. By 1975 all three lighthouses were purchased by the National Parks Service and moved to a site near their original location. Today, visitors may enjoy the Three Sisters Lighthouses and the iconic Nauset Lighthouse, all within walking distance of Nauset Beach.

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