Borden Flats Lighthouse around 1900

Located at the mouth of the Taunton River, Borden Flats Lighthouse has protected the waters of Mt. Hope Bay and Fall River for well over a century. 
During the early days of the industrial revolution, Fall River became known as the world leader in textile productions. The city grew to employ  nearly 30,000 textile factory workers and became destination for large steam liners from destination such as Boston and New York. 
Due to a large under water reef at the entrance to the Taunton River, a lighted day marker was places atop the obstacle, only to prove obsolete for night commerce.  Congress appropriated funds for the construction of the cast iron, "spark plug" style lighthouse. On October, 1 1881 the lighthouse became active with a fixed red light from a 5th order Fresnel Lens. The lens was later upgraded to a 4th Order Fresnel Lens.
The U.S. Lighthouse Establishment (USLHE) held keepers at the lighthouse until the U.S. Coast Guard was created in 1939. At that point, the USLHE was eliminated and station became staffed by a full time Coast Guard officer. 

In an effort to save costs, the lighthouse was fully automated and destaffed in 1963. The Fresnel lens was soon replaced by a 250mm plastic optic with a white flash every 2.5 seconds. Around 1996, the optic was upgraded to the present Vega Rotating Beacon VRB-25, displaying the same flash pattern.  


The lighthouse was deemed surplus by the U.S. Coast Guard and was offered through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA). No entities applied, so it was sold into private ownership in August, 2010. 

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The base of the caisson

Today, the lighthouse is undergoing a transformation. After 48-years, the lighthouse once again has a caretaker. 
The exterior of the station has undergone a long awaited facelift. By popular demand, the local boating community wanted to see a change in the lighthouse to help make it more visible against the Braga Bridge supports, the city of Fall River and the towers of the Brayton Point plant. The beacon now proudly displays a red lantern roof and red sectional band. The white on the tower was increased to a brighter white. Over all, the lighthouse is highly visible and can even be seen from the Mt. Hope Bay Bridge! 

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Borden Flats as seen from the west

Lighthouse Tours are available for $20 per person with no one under the age of 12 allowed. Feel free to contact us through our website.