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The Light House Cafe
Photos and News Events
Panel from museum exhibit - The Light House
Panel from museum exhibit, Through a Rainbow Lens, A Reflection on Lynn's LGBTQ+ History, The Light House
Location: The Lynn Museum, 590 Washiington St., Lynn, MA
Source: Jim Moser
Date: 2024-06-05
Location: The Lynn Museum, 590 Washiington St., Lynn, MA
Source: Jim Moser
Date: 2024-06-05
1982 - Lynn battles male strippers at Fran's Place
Fran's Place, a popular LGBTQ bar, opened in 1976 on the site of the former Light House Cafe and with the same owners. Fran's Place caught public attention when they featured exotic dancers and male strippers which were not permitted by their license.
Pictured: News Clip
Location: Fran's Place, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item, Page 1
Date: 1982-03-19
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
Pictured: News Clip
Location: Fran's Place, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item, Page 1
Date: 1982-03-19
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
1976 - Fran's Place opens at the location of the Light House Cafe
Frances L. and John J. Collins open Fran's Place in 1976 after buying the fire-damaged site of the former Light House Cafe. Fran's Place welcomed the LGBTQ+ community for 40 years, closing in 2016.
Pictured: Ad for the opening of Fran's Place
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: Gay Community News
Date: 1976-11-13
Pictured: Ad for the opening of Fran's Place
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: Gay Community News
Date: 1976-11-13
1975 - The Light House Cafe closes
The Light House Cafe closed in 1975 due to fire damage after several prior attempts to burn it down.
Pictured: News clip
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: Gay Community News, page 2
Date: 1975-07-26
Pictured: News clip
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: Gay Community News, page 2
Date: 1975-07-26
1975 - The final fire at the Light House Cafe
After four documented malicious fires, the Light House Cafe is burned out by the fifth in 1975. It opened in 1937 and operated for 38 years.
Pictured: News Clip
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item
Date: 1975-07-05
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
Pictured: News Clip
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item
Date: 1975-07-05
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
1975 - Gay stevedores
The Light House Cafe is described as "Decidedly mixed reports here... a rough crowd, putting it mildly (and they don't). Pool, of course, dance room with jukebox adjacent to the bar. 'Museum' of psychedelic posters... Gay stevedores, if that's a possiblility."
Pictured: 1975 First Edition, A Gay Person's Guide to New England
Location: Lynn, MA
Source: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/gpgne/1/
Date: 1975
Pictured: 1975 First Edition, A Gay Person's Guide to New England
Location: Lynn, MA
Source: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/gpgne/1/
Date: 1975
1974 - Malicious acts at the Light House Cafe
Three arrested after rock-throwing inside and outside the Light House. The bar was subject to numerous hateful acts and ultimately closed due to a suspicious fire.
Pictured: News clip.
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item
Date: 1974-07-14
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
Pictured: News clip.
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item
Date: 1974-07-14
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
1974 - Defending the Light House
Kathy Duquette, in her response to an April article in Gay Community News, defends the Light House Cafe, saying "violence is no more frequent here than it is at any public gathering place.”
Pictured: Letter to the editor.
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St, Lynn, MA
Source: Gay Community News
Date: 1974-05-04
Pictured: Letter to the editor.
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St, Lynn, MA
Source: Gay Community News
Date: 1974-05-04
1974 - Oppression in Lynn
Patrons fear harassment and violent events at the Light House Cafe.
Pictured: the only known picture of the Light House Cafe
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: Gay Community News, page 2
Date: 1974-04-20
Pictured: the only known picture of the Light House Cafe
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: Gay Community News, page 2
Date: 1974-04-20
1973 - Shotgun blast inside bar
The Light House Cafe endures violence, threats, and harassment. In this article, three men steal drinks and later fire a shotgun at the front wall inside the bar. Bar patrons were startled by the assault.
Pictured: News article
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item
Date: 1973-06-14
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
Pictured: News article
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item
Date: 1973-06-14
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
1952 - Policeman steals liquor from the Light House
Policeman Vernon Sport was removed from the Lynn Police force after being found guilty of stealing liquor from the Light House Cafe.
Pictured: News clipping
Location: Lynn, MA
Source: The Lynn Item
Date: 1952-05-08
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
Pictured: News clipping
Location: Lynn, MA
Source: The Lynn Item
Date: 1952-05-08
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
1939 - Another seamen's fight at the Light House Cafe
Drunkenness and bar fights were not unusual at the Light House Cafe, which was popular with seamen due to its proximity to the waterfront. In this 1939 news clip, two seamen are ordered to get out of Lynn.
Pictured: News story about two drunken seamen.
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item
Date: 1939-04-18
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
Pictured: News story about two drunken seamen.
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item
Date: 1939-04-18
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
1938 - Map of Lynn Harbor
This map shows that the Light House Cafe was on the harbor when it opened in 1937.
Location: Lynn, MA
Location: Lynn, MA
1937 - The Light House Cafe opens
The Light House Cafe, the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in Massachusetts, applies for a liquor license in 1937. It is not known if the Cafe was in operation before that. It was owned by Hugh and Mary Collins and closed in 1975. Their application for a restaurant license for 178 Union St. met with opposition and so they settled on the Washington St. location.
Pictured: Notice of application for liquor license
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item, page 27
Date: 1937-12-03
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
Pictured: Notice of application for liquor license
Location: The Light House Cafe, 776 Washington St., Lynn, MA
Source: The Daily Item, page 27
Date: 1937-12-03
Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.
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