Lake Sunapee’s unique inland lighthouses are a cherished feature for visiting boaters and residents of the area. They were built in the era of the grand steamboats which plied the lake from the 1880s to the 1930s, carrying passengers, luggage, mail and tourists on a circuit of the grand hotels and individual residences with steamer landings on the lake.

NH State Legislature acts in 1981, 1983 and 1985 that gave LSPA the right, at no expense to the state, to maintain the lighthouses, owned by the State of NH.

Entering the summer of 2024, two of Lake Sunapee’s iconic lighthouses were standing on rotting and tilting wood and stone cribs. After consultation and design with experienced marine engineers, LSPA has chosen to replace the cribs at Herrick Cove and Burkehaven with steel supports driven into the bed of the lake. (Loon Island lighthouse stands on a rock island and is stable.) The new, robust approach is a cost-effective and long-lasting (60+ years) answer to the perpetual cycle of expensive crib replacement every 15-20 years. This solution is also preferred by NH Department of Environmental Services, as the lake’s waters can move without obstruction on the lake bottom.