Cape Cod Lighthouse Statue Gay Head Light - Marthas Vineyard

Cape Cod Lighthouse Statue (Gay Head Light - Martha's Vineyard) Perched atop striking, multi-colored cliffs at the western end of Martha’s Vineyard, Gay Head Lighthouse occupies a picture-perfect location. The cliffs exhibit vivid hues of green, yellow, black, brown, red, and white and attract visitors from all over the world. The first European to name this natural feature was explorer Bartholomew Gosnold, who, when he sailed past in 1602, called them Dover Cliffs after the famous chalky landmark along the English Channel. This name, however, failed to stick, and by the 1660s, the area became commonly known as Gay Head, due to the headland’s gaily-colored cliffs. Woodcut depicting original Gay Head Lighthouse Photograph courtesy William Waterway The area around Gay Head has been home to Wampanoag Indians for thousands of years, and to this day many local residents are members of the tribe. In 1998, the town nearest the lighthouse changed its name from Gay Head to Aquinnah, which is Wampanoag for “end of the island.”