Sandy Neck is a half-mile wide, six-mile long peninsula on the north side of Cape Cod, marking the entrance to Barnstable Harbor as well as the approach to the small harbor at Yarmouthport. A light station at the eastern tip of Sandy Neck went into service on October 1, 1826. The original lighthouse was replaced in 1857 by the 48-foot brick tower that still stands.

Sandy Neck Light Station circa 1859 (National Archives)

Barnstable Harbor gradually declined in importance, and shifting sands left the lighthouse in a less advantageous position. In the summer of 1931, the lighthouse was decommissioned and its lens was moved to a steel skeleton tower 200 feet closer to the tip of Sandy Neck. The lantern was removed from the lighthouse and the property was sold at auction in 1933. In 1944, the property was sold to Fred Lang, a radio personality. Lang sold the property to the Hinckley family in 1950. Since 2000, Ken Morton has managed the light station for the family.

Ken Morton and Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont at the top of the lighthouse in 2004. Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.

The installation of a new lantern began in the spring and summer of 2007. The job was completed in the fall, and in October 2007 the lighthouse was relighted as a private aid to navigation, with a modern LED optic.

Sandy Neck Lighthouse in 2008. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.