Back in 2015, I met a woman with the unlikely name of Sally Snowman. Since 2003, Snowman has been the keeper of Boston Light, the first lighthouse built in the American colonies. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit it for a tour.

That fall excursion included a boat ride out to Little Brewster Island, where Snowman showed us around.

We also had the chance to climb the lighthouse. At the top, one could watch the lighthouse’s stunning lamp, and watch as it rotated.

When she took the job in 2003, Sally Snowman was the first woman to ever serve as keeper of Boston Light. Twenty years later, she’s the very last official lighthouse keeper in the US.

Unfortunately, it’s no longer possible to visit Boston Light, as tours were halted after a failed safety inspection in 2018. Since then, Snowman continued to make maintenance trips, but she no longer resided on the island. Soon, on December 30, she’ll be retiring completely. It will mark the end of an era.

Before she heads off into the sunset, Snowman has been the subject of an excellent The New Yorker profile. It’s quite a read.

The view from Boston Light looking back to Boston
[Photo courtesy of P. Kafasis]