Aquinnah residents aired grievances to the select board this week about the new LED beacon inside the recently-renovated Gay Head lighthouse. 

The LED beacon was installed by the U.S. Coast Guard in June – the final step of a seven-month long restoration project to repair structural issues in the curtain wall and lantern deck. Residents told the board at a meeting Tuesday that they took issue with the direction and cadence of the new light, raising concerns about navigational aid and the preservation of the lighthouse’s historic character.

The LED beacon replaces the DCB-224 halogen lamp and has six bulbs but only flashes four – three whites followed by a red. The pattern resurrects the Fresnel lens projection from 1874.

Beverly Wright, a former chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), said the beams are rotating in the opposite direction and are staggered, with random gaps in flashes. 

She grew up in Aquinnah and cherishes the three white and red flash pattern, which she said would be sweeping. 

“I’m very disappointed at how the lighthouse is happening,” Ms. Wright said. “I like the three white and a red, I grew-up with that…. The first two whites are great. The third white has a red behind it, so it’s not clear.”

While both of the former beacons would shine 24 hours each day, the LED beacon is UV-sensitive and turns on only when it’s dark. Ms. Wright also warned of nautical issues with the UV-sensitivity, saying boats far off in the fog wouldn’t have the light to guide them during the day time. She said her friend in Cuttyhunk called after he noticed a difference from afar. 

“GPS is probably going to say that the lighthouse is not going to be useful anymore,” she said. “And I think the lighthouse is a draw for us in town.”

Select board member Chris Manning, who is also the lighthouse keeper, acknowledged that the visibility of the beams is slightly diminished but said there is little the town can do, since the beacon and the lighthouse are owned by the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Keep in mind that they’ve already spent the money on what they just installed and had the goodwill to make it three whites and a red, because it could just as easily have been a new blinking light,” Mr. Manning said.

He told Ms. Wright that he understands her view is shared by many residents in town, but the Coast Guard has the final say. Mr. Manning said the Coast Guard is facing budgetary constraints and for years has been trying to get out of the lighthouse business altogether. 

Mr. Manning said there are people looking into funding and purchasing a Fresnel lens for the lighthouse that would be town-owned and operated. Though there would be logistical and procedural issues, Mr. Manning said it’s a possibility. 

“I think that it’s a great option for us, especially if it’s crowdfunded,” Mr. Manning said. 

Select board chair Juli Vanderhoop voiced her distaste for the lighthouse changes and said it’s in line with a national problem.

“I just feel like this is a problem with the entire nation right now,” Ms. Vanderhoop said. “We’re being dumbed down into this digital age where just the artistry of something doesn’t seem so important.”

She urged town residents to write heartfelt letters to U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who helped restore the flash pattern, and the U.S. Coast Guard expressing their concern and advocating for a replacement.

Editor's note: a previous version of this article incorrectly stated the origin date for the white-white-white-red flash pattern. It started in 1874.