My favorite lighthouse in the world---The Cuckolds off Southport Island near Boothbay Harbor, Maine---may be getting a major facelift, including re-building the original keeper's dwelling. from the Boothbay Register ( Link here ):

"In a letter received earlier this week, Secretary of the Interior, Gail Norton, notified the Cuckolds Council of her decision to return the Cuckolds Fog Signal and Light Station to the stewardship of our community. [...]

"The interestingly named Cuckolds Lighthouse, at the entrance to Boothbay Harbor, is still an active aid to navigation, and is said to be named after a point of land on the Thames River in England, granted to a Londoner to sooth his anger after King John had an affair with his wife. There is much history, lore, and lure about this Lighthouse, as it has been the site of many marine rescues, a beacon to generations of fishermen, and a chosen burial site for some, including our region's much beloved Leland Snowman. All of us who navigate these waters will be pleased to see the Cuckolds Lighthouse rebuilt and maintained to stand as our community's proud beacon for generations to come."

Great news.

Very good news, Bill. Interesting bit of history behind the name. This light is a most unique one and it would be nice to see it rebuilt to its full glory as shown in the recent HL society piece.

"The interestingly named Cuckolds Lighthouse, at the entrance to Boothbay Harbor, is still an active aid to navigation, and is said to be named after a point of land on the Thames River in England, granted to a Londoner to sooth his anger after King John had an affair with his wife."

More info about the name:

Nelson Dock is the only dry dock left in London and was known as Cuckolds Point in the 17th and 18th century's.

Cuckold's Point

The large bend in the river is known as Cuckold's Point. This used to be marked with a pair of horns mounted on a pole to commemorate Horn Fair which was held at Charlton. The story is that King John gave the fair as a concession, along with all the land from the point to Charlton, to a miller whose wife he had seduced after a hunting trip. The horns are the sign of a cuckolded husband. The steps adjacent to Canada Wharf are still known as Horn Stairs. Also at Cuckold's Point were hung the bodies of river pirates as a grisly example to other wrong doers.

Cuckold means: the husband of an unfaithful wife!

HCS

Thank you both Bill and Hilari. One thing for certain is they didn't fool around back then with the wrong doers. I gotta say this about the name though, I don't think I'd like to be known as the husband of an unfaithful wife so I would have liked it to be named after me instead. Very interesting bit of history indeed!