THE MASSACHUSETTS MAGAZINE, Boston, December, 1792 

* Benjamin Franklin's "Pennsylvania Hospital" 
* Cape Henry Lighthouse & John Hancock

The issue begins with: "An Account of the Pennsylvanian Hospital" which takes 2 pages. This was the famous Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia founded in part by Ben Franklin. It is considered the "Nation's First Hospital" about which much is written on the internet.
The article includes: "...the distress of the diseased poor...and the forlorn state of those unhappy persons who having suffered the loss of reason, wandered at large, a nuisance and a terror to the public..." with more on the need for a hospital. Also mentioned: "...the promoters of the humane design, at the head of whom appeared the late eminent patriot Dr. Franklin, and the worthy & benevolent Dr. Bond, set on foot a subscription..." with more on how the hospital was created.
The related plate is lacking.
Also in this issue are: "Particular Customers of the Six Nations" which is concerning the Indians; "Advice to the Lazy" "Various Sketches of American Natural History" which describes many animals beginning with "The Bald Eagle"; "Advantage of Cleanliness" and more.
Near the back are "Minutes of the Proceedings of the State Legislature" which includes an address signed: John Hancock. There are 3 pages of news items from Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Delaware, Western Territory, & elsewhere. The "Virginia" report includes: "...The light house on cape Henry is now completed & the lamps were lighted for the first time on the 17th of November. The foundation of the building stands..." with a bit more. This is one of the oldest lighthouses in the country.
Complete in 56 pages, full title/contents page, 5 by 8 inches, various small tears at the margins with various archival mends at margin, foxing is mostly near the edges.

Background: The original Cape Henry Lighthouse, constructed in 1792, was the first federally funded lighthouse in the United States, authorized by President George Washington and designed by Major William Saunders. Built of Aquia Creek sandstone, the 90-foot masonry tower was intended to guide ships entering the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, a critical route for trade and early American settlement. Located near the historic 1607 landing site of English colonists, the lighthouse symbolized both the young nation’s commitment to maritime safety and its connection to early colonial history. Despite its solid construction, the tower began to deteriorate over the decades due to the combination of coastal erosion, shifting sands, and the natural wear of sandstone, prompting the construction of a newer iron-and-brick lighthouse in 1881. Today, the original lighthouse stands preserved as a historic landmark within First Landing State Park, offering visitors a glimpse into the early engineering and maritime history of the United States.

Eighteenth century American magazines are increasingly scarce in today's market. This title was published by the famed Isaiah Thomas, the patriot printer from the Revolutionary War & founder of the American Antiquarian Society.