Accessibility: 
Geographic coordinates: 41° 42' 16" N 71° 10' 28" W
Nearest city: Fall River. Located at the mouth of the Taunton River, Mount Hope Bay.
Established: 1881. Present lighthouse built: 1881. Automated: 1963.
Height of tower: 50 feet. Height of focal plane: 47 feet.
Previous optic: Fourth-order Fresnel lens. Present optic: VRB-25.
Characteristic: White flash every 2.5 seconds.
Fog signal: One blast every 10 seconds.
The location of Fall River—famed as the “Textile Capital of the World” in the nineteenth century—at the mouth of the Taunton River allowed easy travel by water to Providence, Newport, and beyond. In June 1880, $25,000 was appropriated for a lighthouse to mark dangerous Borden Flats. The cast-iron tower was erected on a cast-iron caisson, and the light went into service on October 1, 1881. There were five stories above the basement, with two levels serving as living quarters.
On August 3, 1912, two men were passing near the lighthouse in a rowboat. As the men attempted to change places, the boat overturned. Keeper John H. Paul saw the accident and immediately launched his boat. One of the men was unable to swim and was lost in the waves. The other man clung to the overturned boat and was swiftly rescued by Paul.
After the lighthouse was damaged in the hurricane of September 21, 1938, a wider cylindrical caisson was added to provide more protection. The light was electrified in 1957 and automated in 1963. In September 2006, it was announced that the lighthouse would be available for transfer to a suitable applicant under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. No organizations expressed interest, so the lighthouse was sold at auction to the public. The owner is now Nick Korstad of Oregon, who says he plans to eventually offer some degree of public access.
The lighthouse can be seen from the Borden Light Marina at 1 Ferry Street in Fall River. The view is fairly distant, so bring your long camera lens. For more on the marina, call them at 508-678-7547 or visit www.bordenlight.com.
SIDE TRIP: Marine Museum at Fall River
This museum houses a diverse collection of marine artifacts and memorabilia, with more than 150 scale models, 30,000 photographs, videos, uniforms, audio recordings, and more. One highlight is a 28-foot model of the Titanic. There are exhibits on the Fall River Line, the fleet of luxurious steamships that carried passengers from New York and Boston to Newport.
Marine Museum At Fall River
70 Water Street
Fall River, MA 02721-1515
Phone 508-674-3533
Web site: www.marinemuseum.org
This lighthouse has had a visible tilt ever since it was battered by the hurricane of September 1938.
SIDE TRIP: Battleship Cove
Here you can experience firsthand what it was like to serve on board a U.S. Navy warship in World War II. Battleship Cove is home to the battleship USS Massachusetts, commissioned in 1942, as well as four other National Historic Landmark ships.
Battleship Cove
Five Water Street
Fall River, MA 02722-011
Phone: 508-678-1100
Web site: www.battleshipcove.org
To reach the marina: From Route 24 South, after you enter Fall River, keep going straight onto Route 79 South. Route 79 forks underneath the Braga Bridge. Stay to the right and follow the sign for Route 138 South, N. Tiverton. This puts you on Broadway. Take the first left at a traffic light onto Columbia Street. Take the first left onto Ponta Delgada Boulevard. Take the first left onto Ferry Street. The marina is at the end of Ferry Street.
From I-195 East, take exit 5 and go to the left. Go right onto Milliken Boulevard and take a right at the first traffic light onto Columbia Street. Take a right onto Ponta Delgada Boulevard and then a left onto Ferry Street. Borden Light Marina is at the end of Ferry Street. From I-195 West, take exit 5 and go to the left following the sign for 138 South, N. Tiverton. When the exit forks again, stay to the right and follow the sign for 138 South. This puts you on Broadway. Take the first left at a traffic light onto Columbia Street. Take the first left onto Ponta Delgada Boulevard. Take the first left onto Ferry Street. The marina is at the end of Ferry Street.
