Sometimes referred to as “The Lost Island” of Wellfleet, Billingsgate may not be as well-known today as some other Cape Cod islands, but it certainly still retains a prominent spot in Cape Cod history. Located about 2.5-miles off the shore of Wellfleet, it’s thought Billingsgate Island originally got its name from the Billingsgate Fish Market in London.
At 60-acres in size, the island was once a prime spot for fishing. While it wasn’t very large itself, the island grew in population during the warmer months of the year. Around the 1820s, a lighthouse went up on the island.
It was only the second lighthouse on Cape Cod. Eventually some development followed, with nearly three-dozen homes constructed, as well as a store and a schoolhouse. Even a
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