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New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65278 10/07/07 12:48 AM
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Stan and I traveled to New Hampshire and Maine on a lighthousing trip. We saw the three lights on Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire on Sunday, 9/23/07. The New Hampshire lights were Stan's practice run with his new camera. We saw forty in the State of Maine in the week that followed. Thanks, Sandy

BURKEHAVEN LIGHT, NH. White hexagonal lighthouse is located on a rock at the tip of Burkehaven Island and is the southernmost of three lighthouses built in the 1890s by the Woodsum Brothers. The brothers owned the steamships that brought vacationers from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut by train to summer at Lake Sunapee, a shimmering peaceful lake with tree-lined shores and quiet coves. Mount Sunapee, rising some 2,700' at the southern end of the lake is home to a downhill skiing resort. When steamship service on the lake ended following the Great Depression, the lighthouse was left to deteriorate. Crushing ice destroyed the light in 1936.

Renewed interest in this and the other two lights in the 1980s resulted in the raising of funds to rebuild the lighthouse and the crib on which it was built. Solar panel lights were installed in the mid-1980s. Ice strangled the lighthouse again in 1994, severely damaging the crib which was rebuilt for the second time.

Owned by the State of New Hampshire and maintained by the Lake Sunapee Protective Association.



HERRICK COVE LIGHT, NH. This white, wooden, hexagonal lighthouse stands at the entrance to Herrick Cove. Prior to its 2004 restoration, it had black trimmed panes. Built in 1893 by the Woodsum Brothers, owners of the lake’s steamships. When the Great Depression occurred and the grand era ended, the lighthouse was left to deteriorate. In 1965, it was refurbished. Repairs necessitated by ice damage were accomplished in 1983, and a solar powered light was installed.

The only light of the three on Lake Sunapee that has not been fully replaced, Herrick Cove was airlifted off its base by a helicopter in 2003 so that repairs could be made to the rotting wooden crib and the tower. The weight had been estimated to be around 3,300 pounds. However, the weight was considerably more than the estimate and the lighthouse took an unexpected swim. The helicopter had a lifting capacity of 5,000 pounds and quickly raised the lighthouse out of the water and delivered it to the lawn of the chair of the Lake Sunapee Protective Association’s (LSPA) committee.

The chair’s daughter, Ginger Cross Shaw, died in an avalanche in 1996 while heli-skiing in Wyoming. In her memory, many contributions were made to the LSPA. The Cross family decided to apply the donations toward the cost of restoring the tower. A new crib was constructed, the rotted components of the tower’s framework were replaced. In July of 2004, the framework and a 700 pound to piece were lifted by helicopter to the restored crib and the lighthouse was covered with modern maintenance-free panels.

The Herrick Cove Lighthouse, now also known as Ginger’s Light, is owned by the
State of New Hampshire and is maintained by the Lake Sunapee Protective Association.




09/23/2007. LOON ISLAND LIGHT, NH. Lake Sunapee is a long, narrow lake stretching
ten miles from north to south. Its name is Algonquin and means “wild goose lake.” In the late 19th century, the lake became a popular destination for travelers from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. They arrived by train to Sunapee Harbor and boarded steamships for the resort hotels and family estates along the shoreline.

The steamer “Edmund Burke” struck an underwater ledge at Loon Island in 1891. The accident led to the construction of a lighthouse on the small island located near the middle of the lake. The wooden tower was built in 1893 by the Woodsum Brothers, owners of the steamships. In 1896 the lighthouse caught on fire when the fire department was working on repairs. The firemen extinguished the fire with lake water and finished the repairs.

The second tower was struck by lightning in 1960 and burned down; it was rebuilt that same year following a fund drive for private contributions. In the 1980s solar panels were installed in the lighthouse.

The Great Depression took its toll on Lake Sunapee and saw the decline of steamboats and grand hotels. The lighthouse still guides the marine craft that use the lake for recreation.

The lighthouse is owned by the State of New Hampshire and is maintained by the Lake Sunapee Protective Association.



We traveled to Bar Harbor, ME on Monday, 9/24/07, picked up the rental car, and set up the RV at a campground. On Tuesday, the 25th we arrived at Scenic Flights of Acadia for the first of two flights that day. I’d contacted Vicki a week or so before we left CT and gave her a list of all the lights we hoped to see; she, in turn, worked out a flight plan with her pilot. We planned to fly to the 25 lights I’d listed over two days–weather forecasts changed that to a single flight on what was a beautiful day:

We started the first leg of the flight with:

NASH ISLAND LIGHT, ME. Built in 1873 and inactive since 1982, this square pyramidal brick tower with lantern and gallery is attached to a small brick workroom. The buildings were painted white, the lantern and gallery black. Keeper’s house and all other light station buildings were demolished following automation of the light in 1958; the foundation ruins remain. The tower is a sibling of Burnt Coat Harbor Light. A local support group was granted ownership under the Maine program in 1997 and began repairing the lighthouse. The brickwork and windows have been restored, the tower has been painted, and restoration work has begun in the interior. The island is part of Maine Coastal Island National Wildlife Refuge and is an important seabird nesting site that is closed to the public April through August.





MOOSE PEAK (MISTAKE ISLAND) LIGHT, ME. Built in 1851, this active 57' round brick tower with lantern and gallery has a solar-powered DCB-24 aerobeacon and a focal plane 72' above sea level shows a white flash every 30 seconds. Located on Mistake Island, a small island about 5 miles southeast of Jonesport. The tower is painted white, the lantern and watch room black. Its fog horn sounds 2 blasts every 30 seconds. The keeper’s house was demolished in 1982 in a military demolition exercise; the lighthouse was slightly damaged in the explosion. Its brick fog signal building was built in 1912. Resembling Sankaty Head, MA light, it is one of the first “early classic” style masonry towers. The height of the tower was increased in 1886 by adding a watch room below the lantern. Its 1856 2nd-Order Fresnel lens has been restored by volunteers from the Chesapeake Chapter of the US Lighthouse Society. It was to be displayed at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, but the hardware needed to assemble the lens has not been located. The lighthouse was refurbished and converted to solar power in 1999. Mistake Island is a nature preserve and visitors must use the boardwalk to access the lighthouse. Owned by the US Coast Guard, its site manager is the Maine Nature Conservancy; it is part of the Great Wass Island Preserve.


Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65279 10/07/07 12:48 AM
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LIBBY ISLAND LIGHT, ME. Built in 1822, this active 42' old-style round granite tower with lantern and gallery is attached to a small workroom. Its solar-powered VRB-25 optic has a focal plane 91' above sea level and shows 2 white flashes every 20 seconds. A 4th-Order Fresnel lens thought to have been used in this lighthouse is on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, ME. The tower is unpainted, the lantern is painted black, the workroom is white with a red roof. Its fog horn sounds a single blast every 15 seconds. The keeper’s house has been demolished; its 1884-built brick fog signal building and 1893-built oil house survive. It is Maine’s third oldest lighthouse–it collapsed due to poor construction and had to be rebuilt in 1824. The Coast Guard removed paint from the tower in 2000 and revealed the original granite. A boat landing and a retaining wall were repaired and the light was converted to solar power. Located on an island in the mouth of Machias Bay, the site and tower are closed. Owned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, its site manager is the Maine Coastal Island National Wildlife Refuge.



MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND LIGHT, ME. Built by Canada on a U.S.-owned island, the
lighthouse is technically Canadian. Great Britain, and later Canada, have maintained an ongoing interest in the island, largely through continuous occupation of the lighthouse. Until the 1970s–1980s, lighthouse keepers would live on the island with their families, receiving supplies by sea from Grand Manan or Saint John. In recent decades, the island has been protected under its designation as the Machias Seal Island National Wildlife Area (a wildlife and seabird sanctuary), managed by the Canadian Wildlife Service. No private citizen in Canada has made an ownership claim to Machias Seal Island, and Canada considers the property to be wholly owned by the federal government. The island has long been included in federal and provincial electoral districts, and policing has been enforced on the island by Royal Canadian Mounted Police and on waters surrounding the island by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. In the 20th century, some Canadian residents placed mining claims on the island as an exercise of sovereignty, despite the fact that it is considered a protected area.
The United States has never recognized the construction and continuous occupation of a lighthouse since 1832 by the United Kingdom, and now Canada, to determine the island's ownership, citing several cases worldwide. However, the United States has never maintained an ongoing presence on the island as Canada has and, until recent decades, many branches of the federal and state of Maine governments were inconsistent in their communications: they sometimes have referred to Machias Seal Island as being owned by Canada.
Using the residence on the island, two lightkeepers are flown by helicopter from the coast guard base in Saint John every 30 days to replace the two existing keepers. These coast guard employees also assist the Canadian Wildlife Service in maintaining the National Wildlife Area, as well as helping any wildlife researchers who may stay on the island for a period of time.




PETIT MANAN LIGHT, ME. This 1855-built active 119' round granite tower with lantern and double gallery has a VRB-25 aerobeacon with a focal plane 123' above sea level that shows a white flash every 10 seconds. Its original 2nd-Order Fresnel lens is on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, ME. The tower is unpainted, its lantern is painted black. Its fog horn sounds one blast every 30 seconds; its fog bell is on display at the Milbridge Elementary School. An 1875-built 1½-story Victorian wood keeper’s house provides seasonal housing for Fish and Wildlife service staff and students from the College of the Atlantic. The 1887-built brick fog signal building, an oil house, engine house, and other buildings still exist. The second tallest lighthouse in Maine, Petit Manan is a sibling of Boon Island Light. It was repaired and restored in 1997-‘98. The light was out of service for 2 months in 2001 when a nor’easter
damaged the submarine power cable, resulting in conversion to solar power later in 2001. The light station was listed for transfer under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act in 2004, and in late 2006 ownership was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Located on a small island off Petit Manan Point, there are hiking trails leading to the Point that provide a view of the lighthouse. The tower is closed. The site is open September through March, and is closed for bird nesting season. The site manager is the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.




EGG ROCK LIGHTHOUSE, ME. This 1875-built, active 40' square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery rises through the center of the roof of a 1½-story wood keeper’s house. The original lantern was removed in 1976. The VRB-25 aerobeacon seen today is mounted in a 1986-built replica lantern, has a focal plane of 64' above sea level and flashes red every 5 seconds. The building is painted white, has a red roof, and a black lantern. The 1904-built fog signal building, an oil house, and other buildings are on the site. Its active fog horn sounds 2 blasts every 30 seconds. The design of this integral lighthouse is very unusual for Maine. The lantern was removed in 1976 when a rotating aerobeacon was installed. The Coast Guard installed a new lantern similar to the original in 1986 following public protests.
In the late 1990s the station was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service under the Maine Lights program. Located on an island in the mouth of Frenchman Bay about 4 miles southeast of Bar Harbor. The site is open September through March, closed for bird nesting season. The tower is closed. Owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the site manager is the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.




BAKER ISLAND LIGHT, ME. This 1855-built 43' round, cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery is adjacent to a 1½-story wood Cape Cod style keeper’s house to which it was originally attached. Its light was a solar-powered 300 mm lens when it was deactivated in 2002. Its original 4th-Order Fresnel lens is on display in the Fisherman’s Museum at Pemaquid Point Light. The tower is painted white, lantern black. An 1895-built brick oil house and 1905-built shingled fuel house are on the site. Considered a typical Maine lighthouse of its period, the growth of trees made the light difficult to see from the water. The Coast Guard was to discontinue the light in 1991 and again in 1997, the opposition by residents and by succeeded in a reprieve. The Coast Guard and National Park service reached a standoff, unable to agree how trees might be cut to restore visibility of the light without damaging natural values on the island. Replaced by an offshore buoy in 2002, the Park Service replaced the roof of the keeper’s quarters in 2003. The site is open, the tower is closed. Owned by the US Coast Guard, the site manager is the US National Park Service.


Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65280 10/07/07 12:49 AM
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GREAT DUCK ISLAND LIGHT, ME. This 1890-built, active 42' round, cylindrical granite tower with lantern and gallery has a solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon with a focal plane of 67' above sea level installed in 1986 that shows a red flash every 5 seconds. The tower is painted white, lantern black. Its continuous fog horn has a single blast every 15 seconds. The original 1½-story wood keeper’s house is in use as an ecology research facility. The brick 1890 fog signal building was renovated in 1994; the original boathouse, 1901 oil house, and other light station buildings still exist on site. The station is the base for field courses of the College of the Atlantic, which took ownership in 1998 under the Maine Lights program. Located on an isolated island northeast of Frenchboro; the southern portion of the island that is home to the light station is owned by the College of the Atlantic, which conducts research on the island. The remainder of the island is owned by the State of Maine, the Nature Conservancy and a private summer resident.




BURNT COAT HARBOR (HOCKAMOCK HEAD) LIGHT, ME. Located on Hockamock Head on the southern side of Swans Island, marking the entrance to Burnt Coat Harbor. This 1872-built, active 32' square pyramidal brick tower with lantern and gallery has a solar-powered 250 mm lens with a focal plane 75' above sea level that shows a white light occluding every 4 seconds. The tower is painted white, lantern black. The original 1½-story wood keeper’s quarters, 1895 oil house, 1911 wood bell tower (repaired in 2001) are on the site. This lighthouse was originally the rear light in a range. The light station is a town park. The town replaced the shingle siding of the bell tower in 2001 and is planning an architectural study of preservation options and requirements.





BLUE HILL BAY (EGGEMOGIN) LIGHT, ME. This 1857-built 22' round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery is located on Green Island, on the west side of the Blue Hill Bay, near an old inside passage shipping lane. It was also known as Eggemogin Light as it is also located at the eastern entrance of Eggemogin Reach, the coastal waterway that connects Penobscot Bay with Blue Hill Bay. Its 5th-Order Fresnel lens is still mounted in the tower. Tower is painted white, lantern black. 1½-story wood keeper’s house is in use as a private summer residence. The 1905 brick oil house and boathouse are on site. Inactive since 1933, an active light with a focal plane of 25' flashes green every 4 seconds on the 1933 replacement skeletal tower. The buildings were restored in the 1970s by the private owners who sold the station in 1995.




EAGLE ISLAND LIGHT, ME. Located on an island where Isle au Haut Bay meets East Penobscot Bay, this 1839 lighthouse is one of seventeen built in Maine during a 15-year period during the 1820s and ‘30s. Originally known as Eagle Island Point light, the station was built on the northeast corner of the island on a 6-acre point deeded to the government in 1837 by a local landowner. The 25' conical rubblestone tower is topped by a wrought iron, octagonal copper-topped dome. An 1837 constructed 1½-story rubblestone keeper’s dwelling was replaced in 1857 with a wooden dwelling framed in hemlock and covered with clapboard pine. It had 3 rooms on the first floor, 4 bedrooms on the second, and a workshop connecting the dwelling to the tower.
The original beacon was a fixed white light shining from 10 lamps arranged in 2 tiers and backed by 14" reflectors. When the station exhibited its light in September of 1838, the fuel used was whale oil or lard. All the lamps were converted to kerosene by 1877; in 1858 a 4th-Order Fresnel lens was installed. Its light showed from a height of 106' above sea level and was visible for 16½ miles.
Automated in 1959, its Fresnel lens was replaced by a 300 mm lens with an electric lamp
powered by banks of batteries recharged by a diesel generator. The light’s characteristic was changed to flashing white every 4 seconds. The fog bell was also turned off, replaced by a buoy just off the island. The lens is solar-powered today.
The Coast Guard burned down the buildings in 1963, leaving only the lighthouse and bell tower. Alarmed at a rash of vandalism at other abandoned light stations in the area, the edifices had been put up for bid, but as the new owner would have to remove them from the property, there were no takers. The Coast Guard attempted to remove the fog bell when they burned down the dwelling, but the bell slipped during handling and tumbled down the cliff into the sea where it was left. A local fisherman noticed the bell sitting in deep water years later. With some help, he managed to get a chain around it and towed it to Great Spruce Head Island where he served as a caretaker for the artist John F. Porter. The bell remains on the grounds of the Porter estate.
Under the Maine Lights Program, the lighthouse was transferred to the Eagle Light Caretakers and is now privately owned. The station remains an active aid to navigation.




PUMPKIN ISLAND LIGHT, ME. Built in 1854, inactive since 1933, this 28', round, cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery is attached to a 1½-story wood keeper’s house. The buildings are painted white, the lantern and gallery black. The 1906 brick oil house and boathouse are on the site. A private residence since 1934, it is located on a small island in Eggemoggin Reach north of Little Deer isle. Site and tower are closed to the public.




We returned to the airfield to refuel, firm up the flight plan, and stretch our legs. The first stop for photographs was:

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65281 10/07/07 12:49 AM
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GRINDLE POINT LIGHT, ME. This 1874-built 39' square brick tower with lantern and gallery is attached by a covered passageway to the original 1½-story wood keeper’s house. Inactive from 1934 until 1987, it was reactivated in 1987 when the Coast Guard installed a 250 mm lens following many requests from Isleboro residents. The light has a focal plane 39' above sea level and shows a green flash every 4 seconds.
The town of Isleboro bought the station for $1,200 when it was deactivated and put the keeper’s house in use as the sailor’s Memorial Museum. A fog bell similar to the original is on display.
Located on the southeast side of Isleboro Island at the entrance to Gilkey Harbor, it is adjacent to the ferry terminal. The site and museum are open daily and are free of charge; the tower is closed.




TWO BUSH ISLAND LIGHT, ME. The island was named for two lone pines, now gone, that served as day beacons before the building of the 42-foot square lighthouse. This active, 1897 -built, 42', square brick tower with lantern and gallery is attached to a brick fog signal building. Its present VRB-25 lens with a focal plane of 65' above sea level shows a white flash every 5 seconds; replaced the DCB-224 aerobeacon that replaced the original 5th-Order Fresnel lens. The buildings are painted white, the lantern and gallery black. Its fog horn sounds a single blast every 15 seconds. The keeper’s house was demolished in 1970 the Coast Guard allowed the Green Berets to destroy the keeper's house as a demolition exercise.
Smut, a heroic dog at Two Bush Island is believed to have saved the lives of two fishermen. Supposedly, a fishing schooner was in danger of being smashed on the rocky shores of Two Bush Island in a snowstorm. A leak opened up in the schooner and the two men left aboard the schooner’s dory. The men heard the frantic barking of Smut, the keeper's dog. The keeper, alerted by the dog, ran to the shore and saw the men. When their boat was overturned by a wave, the assistant keeper managed to get a line to them and hauled them ashore. The fishermen offered to buy the dog, but the keeper refused to sell.




WHITEHEAD ISLAND LIGHT, ME. This 1852-built, active 41' unpainted round granite tower with lantern and gallery is attached to a red brick service room. Its original 3rd-Order Fresnel lens was replaced in 1982 by a 300 mm lens with a focal plane of 75' above sea level that shows a green light occluding every 4 seconds day and night. Its fog horn sounds 2 blasts every 30 seconds. The Fresnel lens is on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland. The principal keeper’s house has been demolished; the 1891 1½-story wood assistant keeper’s house, an 1888 square brick fog signal building, an 1891 oil house, boathouse, and other light station buildings remain on the site. Transferred under the Maine Lights program in 1998, the station is part of a summer youth camp, whose members can sign up to help restore the historic buildings. Located on an island 2 miles south of Spruce Head. The site and tower are closed to the public.



TENANTS HARBOR LIGHT, ME. Built in 1857, this 27' round brick tower with lantern and gallery is attached to a 1½-story wood keeper’s house. The buildings are painted white, lantern and gallery black. Inactive since 1933, the light station was purchased by artist Andrew Wyeth in 1978. His son, Jamie, is now the owner and has lived on the island since 1990. Jamie Wyeth has reconstructed the square pyramidal bell tower, using it as his studio. Located on southern island off the entrance to the harbor. The site and tower are closed to the public.



MONHEGAN ISLAND LIGHT, ME. Built in 1850, this active 47' old-style unpainted round granite block tower with lantern and gallery is attached to a workshed. Its lantern is black with a red roof. The 1874 1½-story wood keeper’s house is now a museum. The 1893 oil house and other original buildings are preserved; the 1857 assistant keeper’s house was reconstructed in 1997-‘98. The 1855 fog bell from the nearby Manana Island Fog Signal Station is on display. The passageway connecting the lighthouse and keeper’s quarters has been rebuilt. Located on the rocky island of Monhegan about 10 miles south, southwest of Port Clyde. The site is open, the tower is closed. Owner/site manager is the Monhegan Historical and Cultural Museum.


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MANANA ISLAND FOG SIGNAL STATION, ME. This 1889-built brick fog signal building was a fog signal station only, but was located across a narrow channel from the lighthouse station on Monhegan Island. It and an 1855 2-story keeper’s dwelling which has been greatly modified survive. Other buildings that survive are a 1906 oil house, and a 1905 tramway and hoist house.

The first signal (1855) was a 2,500 pound bell mounted on a 24' wooden frame attached to the keeper’s dwelling; it was struck by hand until a striking machine was installed in 1856. The second (1870) was a 6" Ericsson steam engine that operated a 1st-Class 10" Daboll trumpet that sounded a 15-second blast every 55 seconds (the fog bell was retained as an emergency backup); the Daboll trumpet was removed to Portland Head, Maine in 1872. The third (1872) was a 6" steam operated fog whistle that gave two 5-second blasts every 60 seconds.

In 1876 the Manana Island fog signal was made into a separate station from the Monhegan Light Station. The fog signal site was considered too low and the sound masked in some direction by neighboring hills. Because of difficulty in obtaining title to a better site, the height of the signal was raised, and the fourth signal (1876) an 8" steam whistle replaced the 6" whistle. Unrelated to the fog signal heightening, the keeper’s dwelling was raised 18" and exterior siding covered with clapboard, and a new sill and under floors were installed. A frame engine house for a duplicate fog-signal apparatus was built adjoining the keeper’s dwelling, and a 50' long boat way was built. The fifth (1877) a 1st-Class Daboll trumpet operated by duplicate 32" caloric engines was installed in the new engine house. The new fog signal characteristic was a 15-second blast every 40 seconds. Around 1877, a telegraph wire connecting Monhegan and Manana Island allowed the keeper at Monhegan to activate an electric gong situated in the bedroom wall of the fog signal station on Manana alerting that keeper that a fog bank was rolling in.

Owned and managed by the US Coast Guard.



FRANKLIN ISLAND LIGHT, ME. This 1855-built, active 45' round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery has a solar-powered 250 mm lens that has a focal plane of 57' above sea level and shows a white flash every 6 seconds. The tower is painted white, the lantern and gallery gray, the lantern roof is red. Its original 4th-Order Fresnel lens is on display at Boothbay Harbor Coast Guard station. The keeper’s house was demolished in 1967; the 1895 oil house survives. The Coast Guard contracted with the Franklin Light Preservation Group to maintain the lighthouse in 1999. The group rebuilt the Coast Guard pier and built a helipad on the island for ready access to the light in 2001. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection ordered these improvements removed because the group had no DEP permits for them. The preservationists have sued to lift the order. Located on a small island in the mouth of Muscongus Bay about 4½ miles southwest of Port Clyde. The Site is open, the tower is closed. Owned by the U.S. Coast Guard, the site manager is the Franklin Light Preservation Group.



CUCKOLDS LIGHT, ME. Originally built as a fog signal station in 1892, its lantern was added in 1907. This active, 48' overall, round wood fog signal station with granite foundation that has a short, white octagonal tower with lantern and gallery is mounted at the peak of the conical red roof. Its light source is a solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon installed in 1998. Lantern and gallery are painted black. Its fog horn sounds a single blast every 15 seconds. The formerly attached 1½-story wood keeper’s house was demolished after severe damage from a blizzard in 1978. The original and rare American-made 4th-Order Fresnel lens is on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, ME. Located on a small island off Cape Newagen, between Boothbay and the Kennebec River. Site and tower are closed to the public. Since 2006, the owner/site manager is the Cuckolds Fog Signal and Light Station Council.



HENDRICKS HEAD LIGHT, ME. Established at the mouth of the Sheepscot River in 1829, near the part of Southport island now known as Cozy Harbor and 6 miles from Boothbay Harbor. The first lighthouse was a granite keeper’s dwelling with the tower on its roof. It exhibited a fixed white light 39' above the water. Its replacement lighthouse is this 39' square brick tower, completed in 1875. The tower is painted white, lantern and gallery black. The original 2-story wood keeper’s house is used as a private summer residence. Buildings are painted white and have red roofs. The 1895 brick oil house and other buildings survive. The original tower’s 4th-Order Fresnel was transferred to the new tower in 1875. A covered walkway connected the lighthouse to the keeper’s house. A pyramidal skeleton-type bell tower was added in 1891 and an oil house was built in1895. A small hand-operated bell was used for several years prior to the building of the bell tower.
Wolcott Marr, one of the keepers at Hendricks Head is said to have been born, married, and died in the same room at the Light. He served as lightkeeper from July 1, 1895 until his death in 1930.
The light was deactivated in 1933 and sold to reduce costs. The house had no electricity or plumbing. The light station and the entire peninsula were sold in 1951. After electricity came to the house in1951 the Coast Guard decided to reactivate the light since boating traffic in the area had increased. In January of 1978, a storm demolished the boathouse and destroyed the walkway that had connected the lighthouse to the fog bell tower. In 1979 the 5th-Order Fresnel lens was replaced by a modern 250 mm optic.
Sold again in 1991,the new owners restored all of the structures. The fixed white light
with red sectors continues as an active aid to navigation.




SEQUIN ISLAND LIGHT, ME. Built in 1857, this active 53' round cylindrical granite tower with lantern and gallery still uses the original 1st-Order Fresnel lens–the only 1st-Order lens in Maine. The lighthouse is painted white, the lantern and gallery black. Its fog horn sounds 2 blasts every 20 seconds. The original 1½-story brick keeper’s house, the 1889 brick fog signal building, 1892 brick oil house, and other buildings are on the site. The keeper’s house is occupied by caretakers in season. In 1999-2000, the lighthouse was the subject of debate between preservationists and the Coast Guard–the latter wanted to extinguish the light and put up a solar-powered skeletal tower. In March of 2000 the Guard dropped its plans to deactivate the light under pressure from both Congress and the public. Current projects include restoring the boat house and tramway engine house. In 2006, the Coast Guard carried out a restoration of the 1st-Order lens.

Located near one of the first places in North America to be settled by Europeans. In1607, 13 years before the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock, two ships carrying over 100 people arrived in rough waters and set up a colony at what is today known as Popham Beach. The colony was abandoned after just one year and the settlers sailed back to England.

The name Sequin comes from an old Native American word sutquin, meaning “the place where the sea vomits.” the sea can be exceptionally rough, especially when a fast tide coming down the Kennebec River meets an opposing strong wind coming off the ocean. The island is often shrouded in fog, making it a hidden navigational hazard as well.

The lighthouse is the second one to be built in what is now the state of Maine and was
authorized by President George Washington. Situated roughly 2½ miles off the mouth of the Kennebec River, it was thought that a light on the island could serve both as a coastal beacon and as an entrance light to the river.

One of the foggiest places in the world–there is written record indicating the fog signal below for almost ⅓ of that year, a total of 2,734 hours. The 1873 Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board indicates that a 10" steam whistle fog signal at the station gave blasts of 8 seconds duration every 52 seconds. Its 1876 Report indicates that a frame building had been built to provide housing for an assistant keeper and to shelter a backup fog signal. The 1889 Report indicates that a stout, 32' square brick fog signal building, the one that is on the site, was constructed and outfitted with duplicate sets of machinery.

The 1895 Report makes mention of “a railroad was built connecting the boathouse landing with the signal house. A car was provided and a hoisting engine was set up for hauling coal and supplies.”

The Coast Guard announced plans to replace the station’s 1857 1st-Order Fresnel lens with a modern plastic solar-powered optic, claiming that the 17,000' underwater cable needed to power the lens had become too expensive to maintain. The initial solution offered by the Coast Guard following loud public protests was that the lens would be turned off but remain it place, with the new plastic lens mounted nearby.

A petition drive was mounted demanding that the Fresnel lens be operational. The Coast
Guard finally agreed to leave the lens in operation in March of 2000. Its fixed white light is the only remaining 1st-Order lens operating north of Rhode island, and the last continuously operating 1st-Order lens north of Virginia. The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the tower and attached museum are open to the public.


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POND ISLAND LIGHT, ME. This 1855-built, active 20' round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery has a solar-powered 250 mm lens. The tower is painted white, the lantern and gallery are painted black. Its fog horn sounds 2 blasts every 30 seconds. The keeper’s house an all other light station buildings were demolished in 1963. The 10-acre treeless island it is located on is an important bird sanctuary (terns) and is closed to the public April through August. Owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the site manager is the Maine Audubon Society (Pond Island National Wildlife Refuge).



LITTLE MARK ISLAND MONUMENT, ME. One of about a dozen granite towers built as daymarkers on the New England coast during the 19th century. Built in 1827, this 50' unpainted square pyramidal granite monument with an active modern light mounted at the top was originally built as a daymark and was not intended to be a lighthouse. A black vertical stripe is painted on each side of the tower, which is otherwise unpainted white granite. The tower has a room at the base, originally meant as a shelter for shipwrecked sailors and is now used for storage batteries for the light. The upper part of the tower is solid, so the Coast Guard has mounted a ladder on the side to provide access to the lens at the top. It is not known when it became a lighted aid to navigation. The light displays a white flash every 4 seconds and has a range of 5 miles. Located on Little Mark Island about 1 mile southwest of the tip of Bailey Island and 3 miles north of Halfway Rock. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard.




HALFWAY ROCK LIGHT, ME. Located in the middle of Casco Bay, roughly midway between Cape Elizabeth and Cape Small. This lighthouse proved indispensable to mariners in a heavy fog, even with Sequin Island Light a short distance away.

In 1869, after years of demands, huge granite blocks were brought from other Maine islands by boat and unloaded on Halfway Rock, where the surface of the rock had been cut to the proper level. The 76' cone-shaped white granite lighthouse with a black cast iron lantern was finally completed and its revolving 3rd-Order Fresnel lens, showing a white light punctuated by a red flash, was lit for the first time in August of 1871. A pyramidal, skeleton bell tower, standing 48' high and constructed of 10" square yellow pine timbers, was bolted to the ledge 80' from the lighthouse in 1887. A striking mechanism delivered regular blows to a 1,000 pound bell suspended in the tower. During the bell tower’s first winter, a sea with a depth of 8' swept over the ledge beneath the tower. The fog bell was replaced in 1905 by a diesel-powered Daboll fog trumpet.

The tower originally doubled as a dwelling for the keepers. A kitchen was located on the first floor, the principal keeper lived on the second floor, the two assistants on a third level, and a watchroom, outfitted with a small stove and a desk, was located directly beneath the lantern room. In 1884, a wooden boathouse measuring 18' x 24' with 2 bedrooms in its loft, was constructed in the lee (on or toward the side of a ship, natural feature, or object that is away from the wind) of the lighthouse. The boathouse was securely bolted to both the ledge and the tower, and a sloping wooden ramp connected the structure to the water.

There were three keepers employed at Halfway Rock–two always on duty and the third on shore leave. Due to the tight living conditions, no families or spouses were allowed at the station. Automated in 1975, modern, solar-powered optic replaced the Fresnel lens which was placed on display at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT.

The station was leased to the American Lighthouse Foundation in 2000. Maine Historic Preservation Commission declared Halfway Rock Lighthouse one of the state’s “Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties” in 2004. It is hoped ALF will be able to save this maritime landmark.




Tuesday found us traveling by car to photograph two lights, and search for two more. The first was:


WHITLOCK’S MILL LIGHT, ME. Built in 1910, this active 25' round, cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery uses a 1969-installed 250 mm lens for its optic. The lighthouse is painted white, the lantern is painted black. The original 4th-Order Fresnel lens is on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, ME. The original 2-story stucco keeper’s house, and square pyramidal wood bell tower (bell removed), and brick oil house survive on site. The interior of the tower is lined with ceramic tile, an unusual feature. The tower was transferred to the St. Croix Historical Society under the Maine Lights program in 1998. The keeper’s house has been a private residence since the 1970s; it was sold in late 2004 or early 2005 and the new owners have restored the building. Located on the south bank of the St. Croix River about 3 miles east of Calais. Site and tower are closed, but the light can be viewed from a roadside park on US 1.





ST. CROIX RIVER LIGHT REMAINS, ME. The historic 1857 lighthouse (rebuilt in 1901) was destroyed by fire in 1976. The active light has a focal plane 101' above sea level showing a white flash every 2½ seconds; it is on a platform at the top of a steel skeletal tower. The 1-story painted white boathouse shown here is all that survives of the station. Designated a national park in 1984, the island was a French settlement in 1604-‘05 and its 400th anniversary was celebrated in 2004. As part of the improvements to the park, the National Park Service restored the landing and boathouse, but the oil house was demolished. Located on St. Croix (Dochet) Island in the St. Croix River about 3 miles north of Robbinston. This picture was taken from the St. Croix Island International Historic Site Visitor Center off US 1 about a mile from the island. Owned by the US National Park Service, the site manager is the St. Croix Island International Historic Site.

St. Croix River Light was built in 1857 on St. Croix Island to mark the entrance to the
St. Croix River on the U.S./Canadian border. It is listed as the first lighthouse of the First Lighthouse District. The lighthouse was an octagonal wooden tower on top of the keeper’s house. The lantern held a 5th-Order Fresnel lens. A fog bell tower with striking machinery was also built. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1901 in a style very similar to the original structure. The station was considered highly desirable by keepers and their families, with a comfortable house and beautiful surroundings.

Automated in 1957, the keepers were removed leaving the station abandoned. In 1976 a group of youngsters landed on the island and started a fire on a windy day. Every building on the island except the boathouse were soon reduced to ashes.




We spent the better part of the remainder of the day trying to get a view of Narraguagus (Pond Island) and Little River lights. Both lights are on the ocean side of the islands they are built on and nobody was working at the harbors that we might convince to take us around the island on their boat. We went back to the campsite and decided to try for a flight on Thursday. We were going to try for a helicopter flight, but I phoned Scenic Flights of Acadia and asked if their pilot would take us to Narraguagus and Little River. Rolf called back to say the plane was fueled and the flight plan okayed, but a storm was coming in and we might only be able to get one of the two we wanted to photograph. One is always better than none where I come from, so we hurried to the airfield and took off for:

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65284 10/07/07 12:51 AM
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NARRAGUAGUS (POND ISLAND) LIGHT, ME. Built in 1853, inactive since 1934, this 31' round, cylindrical granite tower with lantern and gallery is located on Pond Island off Tom Leighton Point, about 5 miles south of Milbridge at the entrance to Narraguagus Bay. The entire site is privately owned, the site and tower are closed. The tower is painted white, lantern black. The 1875 1½-story Victorian wood keeper’s house, an 1887 brick workroom joining the tower to the keeper’s quarters, a 1905 oil house, and two storage buildings survive.

In the 19th century, the little town of Milbridge was an important shipping point for lumber coming from the Narraguagus River. Established by order of President Franklin Pierce in 1853, on the east side of Pond Island to mark the entrance to the harbor of Milbridge, the Narraguagus Light Station first consisted of a short tower and lantern on top of the keeper's dwelling. The pond that gave the island its name is now a swamp.

An inn and clubhouse was built on the island in 1878, and the 3-story Pond Island House continues to operate today. A golf course was added in 1920.

In 1875, a new dwelling was built and much of the original house was removed from around the tower. In 1894, the lighthouse was reinforced with a new layer of brick. The 31-foot granite tower was connected to the keeper's house by a workroom built in 1887. The light that once shown from the tower has been replaced by a buoy located just off Pond Island.



The pilot kept continual contact with the airfields we flew over and knew where the storm was. The flight was uneventful and we felt very comfortable. We did make it to the second light and returned about 10 minutes before the storm came in and the torrential rains began:

LITTLE RIVER LIGHT, ME. Located on Little River Island at the mouth of the Little River near Cutler. Built in 1876, inactive 1980 until 2001, this 41' round, cylindrical cast iron tower (brick lined) with lantern and gallery shows a VRB-25 aerobeacon. The Tower is painted white, the lantern is gray. An 1888 1½-story Victorian wood keeper’s house is under restoration. A 1905 brick oil house and a fog horn that sounds a single blast every 10 seconds survive. The original fog bell tower was demolished, but the bell is on display at a museum in Cutler. Endangered by past neglect, the light station remains on the Doomsday List. Leased in early 2000 by the American Lighthouse Foundation, the Friends of Little River Light was organized and is the site manager. ALF volunteers have rebuilt walkways on the island. The lighthouse was painted in 2001, the lantern windows were reglazed and caulked, and the wood in the lantern interior was replaced. The improvements allowed the Coast Guard to return the light to the tower. The lighthouse was transferred to ALF ownership and restoration of the keeper’s quarters was begun in 2002. In 2006 Coast Guard volunteers painted the lighthouse. The site is closed in the spring and early summer for bird nesting season, but open after July 15th, tower closed.



Friday was rainy and foggy–a perfect day for travel. We moved the RV to the Freeport area, arranged for another rental car and planned the next two days of lighthousing. Saturday morning found us on the road around 9 AM. We stopped for breakfast and let the GPS guide us to the first of 8 lights and 1 LSS and 1 Daymark Monument that we’d see and photograph that day:


MARGINAL WAY FAUX LIGHT, ME. This lighthouse is at the end of a popular scenic walk (named Marginal Way) along the shore in Ogunquit, ME. There is a slot in the door for donations to be used for trail maintenance. The trail connects the town of Ogunquit with the harbor known as Perkins Cove. Unable to locate any information as to builder, etc. as of this writing.





GOAT ISLAND LIGHT, ME. This 1859-built, active, 25' round, cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery uses a 300 mm lens for its light source. Its fog horn sounds a single blast every 15 seconds. The tower is painted white, lantern and gallery black. The original 1½-story keeper’s house is occupied in season by a caretaker. The fog bell is on display at the Kennebunkport Historical Society. Buildings are painted white, roofs are red. The station was transferred to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust in 1998 under the Maine Lights program. A planned restoration will rebuild the bell tower and the walkway between the light tower and keeper’s house. A webcam provides a current view of the lighthouse. Located on an island in the mouth of Cape Porpoise Harbor east of Kennebunkport. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Kennebunkport Conservation Trust.





FLETCHER’S NECK (BIDDEFORD POOL) LIFESAVING STATION, ME. Built in 1873, mention is made in the 1905 Lighthouse Board Annual Report that the station was being rebuilt. The Fletcher's Neck Life Saving Station is a Duluth-type station. It was once referred to as the Biddeford Pool Station. The Work Relief and Public Works Appropriation Act of 1938 provided funds to expand the site, construct an equipment building and lookout tower, construct a boathouse and launchway, reshingle the roof of the main building, and repair the heating pipes. The station was still listed as an active station in 1945. The property was turned over to the General Services Administration in 1955. Records indicate a station at Fletchers Neck was closed on October 15, 1971. It has since been beautifully restored and is used as a private residence. It is included in the National Registry of Historic Places.


Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65285 10/07/07 12:51 AM
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WOOD ISLAND LIGHT, ME. This 1808-built active, 47' round rubblestone tower with lantern and galley, painted white, is attached to a 2-story wood keeper’s house built in 1906. Its lantern and gallery are painted black, its fog horn sounds 2 blasts every 30 seconds. Its light is supplied by a VRB-25 aerobeacon installed in 1972 that has a focal plane of 71' above sea level, and alternating white and green flashes every 5 seconds. It was converted to solar power in 2001.

The lantern was removed in 1972 and rebuilt in 1986. It is Maine’s second oldest lighthouse, and the nation’s eleventh oldest. The bell tower was destroyed by a storm in the 1960s, but the 1872 bell was saved and is on display at Vine’s Landing in Biddeford Pool. Its 1903 stone oil house also survives on the site.

The Coast Guard leased the station to a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation in 2003. The volunteers cleared the site, removed debris from the tower, and restored electrical service to the lighthouse. A restoration plan has been prepared and submitted to the state for approval.

Located on an island off the mouth of the Saco River northeast of Biddeford Pool. Most
of the island is a wildlife sanctuary administered by the Maine Audubon Society. Owned by the U.S. Coast Guard; site manager: Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse.




STAGE ISLAND MONUMENT, Biddeford Pool, ME. Web research supplied this information on the daymark shown here:

“Stage Island, where in the late 1800s the Biddeford Pool herring and cod fleets erected staging to dry their catches and where Wood Island keeper – Frank Verrill, had once lived. He also described the 60-foot stone “monument” built on the island in 1825, which still stands today as a navigational marker to aid the entry into the harbor.”




FORT POPHAM LIGHT, ME. Fort Popham, built during and for use in the Civil War in 1862--construction stopped in 1869 before the fort was finished, is on Route 209. The fort sits on the banks of the Kennebec River where it broadens into Atkins Bay, and offers views of Georgetown across the river. Designed to protect Bath shipyards and state capital further along the Kennebec River. The Union Army worried about the Confederacy’s newest naval ship design, the ironclad warship, and its possible effect on Bath Iron Works and Maine’s capital city of Augusta, which is located less than 20 miles up the Kennebec River. Built from granite blocks quarried on nearby Fox Island and Dix Island. It had a 30' high wall facing the mouth of the Kennebec River and was built in a crescent shape, measuring approximately 500' in circumference.

Fort Popham’s armament consisted of 36 cannons arrangedin2 tier of vaulted casements. Each cannon weighed roughly 25 tons and fired solid shot, each weighing almost 480 pounds. The back side of Fort Popham was built with a low moated curtain containing a central gate and 20 musket ports.

Modifications were made and the fort was used again in the Spanish American War and in World War 1. Historical records conclude that fortifications, probably wooden, existed here and protected the Kennebec settlements during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. It was nearby that the English made their first attempt to colonize New England in 1607.

Construction of Fort Baldwin on the headland above Fort Popham began in 1905 with longer-range guns, which eventually rendered Fort Popham obsolete.

Research indicates there was a light on a spindle next to the fort in 1899; a light on top of a square pyramidal wooden structure that was on rocks in front of the fort in 1903, and the light shown here that was relocated to the top of the fort in the 1940s–still maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. The fort is owned by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, the site manager is the Fort Popham State Historic Site.




PERKINS ISLAND LIGHT, ME. Built in 1898, the station includes the 23' tall, octagonal wood and shingle lighthouse (the bracketed gallery was added in 1899), the 2-story wood-framed keeper’s dwelling and barn. Added in later years are the boathouse (1901), the pyramidal wooden bell tower (1902), and the brick oil house (1906).

Perkins Island’s original 5th-order Fresnel lens was removed in 1979 when the string of Kennebec River lights was automated. The lantern holds a modern 250 mm lens today, having a focal plane of 41' above sea level, showing a red flash every 2½ seconds, 2 white sectors cover a clear channel. The station’s 1,000 pound fog bell is located on the grounds of the Georgetown High School.

The light station, except for the tower, was transferred to the state in the 1960s. The lighthouse is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and leased in 2000 to the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF). The keeper’s dwelling is the responsibility of the State of Maine but little has been done for this station. Except for a 2000 restoration of the fog bell tower by the Friends of Perkins Island Lighthouse, the ALF chapter formed when the lease occurred, the dwelling is boarded up and in very poor condition. The chapter hopes to work also for restoration of the keeper’s house. The tower is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard but leased to the American Lighthouse Foundation, the site by the Maine Department of Natural Resources.





SQUIRREL POINT LIGHT, ME. One of three similar light towers built in 1898. 25' tall, it is an octagonal wood-framed and shingle structure. The station’s 1½-story wood-framed keeper’s dwelling is Victorian in design and has been privately restored. The garage and barn were also built in 1898. The brick oil house and boathouse were added in 1906. The light was automated in 1979; its original 5th-order Fresnel lens was removed and replaced by a plastic lens in 1980. The lens is displayed in the Museum at Portland Head Light.

Leased by a nonprofit organization, the Squirrel Point Light Associates, Inc. in 1996, the group had made improvements on the property and hoped to establish it as an educational center. The site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2002 the lighthouse was listed for sale. When the Coast Guard indicated it would allow a sale to a retired naval office, a new group, Citizens for Squirrel point, sued to block the sale. The Coast Guard joined the suit and asked to recover the property because the owners had violated the terms of the 1996 transfer. A magistrate’s decision that the property should revert to the federal government was upheld in February of 2005. Located on Arrowsic island opposite Phippsburg. The site is open, the tower is closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard.


Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65286 10/07/07 12:51 AM
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DOUBLING POINT RANGE LIGHTS, ME. The octagonal, wood and shingle structures are connected by a wooden walkway. The towers are 13' tall, have red pyramidal roofs, are mounted on granite foundations, and are 235 yards apart. The station’s keepers’ residence, also built in 1898, is a 2-story wood-framed Victorian dwelling occupied by a caretaker. The site includes a fuel shed (1898), a boathouse (1901), and an oil house (1902). When built, both towers were equipped with 5th-order Fresnel optics. One of the Fresnel lenses is active in the Rockland Harbor Southwest Lighthouse. The optics were automated in 1979, removed and replaced by modern plastic 250 mm lenses. The front light shows a single quick flash, the rear light shows a white light timed for 3 seconds on, 3 seconds off.

The aids are the only active range lights in Maine. Captains and pilots align the lights as they approach Fiddler Reach, the river’s sharp double bend at Doubling Point.

The U.S. Coast Guard maintains the active optics. The Coast Guard restored the rear tower in 1996. In 1998 the lights and nearby fog signal were transferred to a new preservation group, the Range Light Keepers, under the Maine Lights program. The site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Kennebec River Light Station.






ABAGADASSET POINT RANGE LIGHTS, ME. An article in the January, 2001 edition of Lighthouse Digest supplied the data we used to search for these lights, but we were unable to locate the remains of either the lights or the still-standing oil house in the hour we rode and walked searching for the remains. We drove on what could have been what the author of the article described as “a barely recognizable road leading to about 100' from the front light,” but could not locate anything resembling range light remains.


Sunday found us back on the road for the two remaining lights we could see by car:

ANASAGUNTICOOK FAUX LIGHT, ME. Built by a Canton, ME resident, this lighthouse has become an unofficial symbol of the Town of Canton. The builder built his own island on a shallow spot near the outlet of the Lake Anasagunticook. Taking rocks from old stone walls that he bought for $1/yard, he moved some of the rocks out to the shallow spot in the winter. When the ice melted, the rocks would settle into place. The cracks and holes were filled in with coal ashes, then the site was leveled off with oak and hemlock bark from a local tannery. The waste was produced by the tannery after the tannic acid was removed and used in the tanning process.

The conical stone tower is attached to a field stone cottage. The biggest problem was getting a deed to the island–it did not exist on any record or map. After many arguments the State of Maine finally gave the builder a deed to an island in Lake Anasagunticook.





LADIES DELIGHT LIGHT, ME. Built in 1908, this 16' round stone tower, painted white, with wood lantern and gallery is active in season. In 2000 the lighthouse was endangered, leaning and in need of restoration. Some repairs were made early in 2001. Located on a reef in Lake Cobbosseecontee about a mile south of island Park in Manchester. Site and tower are closed. Site manager: Cobbosseecontee Yacht Club.




We’ve now seen and photographed all of Maine lights except Matinicus Rock and Mount Desert Rock. Both are quite far out to sea and it was suggested by one flight operator that we should find a plane with pontoons to take us to them. Anybody out there looking to have company on a flight? Let me know–I’ll be happy to pay the fuel costs if it doesn’t mean mortgaging the house.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the trip. Now it’s back to battening down the hatches and getting ready for winter. . . .

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65287 10/07/07 01:25 AM
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I haven't had time yet to read it all, Sandy, but at this point it looks like a great and comprehensive 'guide' for others looking for the Maine lights!

The pictures are definitely great!

More when I have more time to print and read it all!

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65288 10/07/07 01:56 AM
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WOW! What a trip! Thanks for posting.


Stephanie


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but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.
Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65289 10/07/07 03:10 AM
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Sandy, fantastic pictures and postings. Thanks cool


Ruthie
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Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65290 10/07/07 10:27 AM
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wheland Offline
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Sandy,

Almost makes one believe they were there with you.

Great photos and narrative.

Dennis

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65291 10/07/07 12:26 PM
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:::Incredible jealousy:::

This is what I consider the perfect way to do Maine; see them ALL, and hit the hard ones by air. Did you see them all in one flight, or multiple ones?

Great photos, I'm definitely in the "there-with-you" mode.

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65292 10/07/07 03:00 PM
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sandy Offline OP
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Greg,

Of the 44 pictures shown here, 24 were a single day's flight, 2 were a second day, and 18 were by car.

By my count, there are more than 70 standing lights or their remains in Maine. We've seen all but Matinicus Rock, Mount Desert, and the remains of Abagadasset Point Range Lights.

Thanks to all for your comments.

Sandy

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65293 10/08/07 03:56 PM
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Lorie Roe Offline
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Wow Sandy...thanks for sharing such a great write-up and photos of Maine. How many days did you spend in Maine to view all those lights?

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65294 10/08/07 09:06 PM
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WOW !!!!!

Fantastic pictures !!!

I now have to go back and read all the narratives.

Many thanks for taking the time to post.

bow


Stan M
New Jersey Lighthouse Lovers
------------------------------------
Harry Wishlist: Tinicum Rear Range, Miah Maull Shoal, Finns Point, Bergen Point, Cross Ledge, Old Ambrose Lightstation, Romer Shoal, Barnegat Lightship, Liberty Lightship.
Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65295 10/08/07 09:23 PM
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Lorie,

We left for New Hampshire on Sunday, 9/23, traveled to Maine from New Hampshire on Monday, September 24th, and returned home on Monday, October 1st. The 24th and 28th were travel days in the RV, the other 5 days were either in a plane or in the rental car.

In reviewing the pictures I posted here, it appears I uploaded the first one of each set that Stan took. I have much better pictures of each lighthouse being developed, especially those taken from the plane. He got much better with the new camera as time went on.

Thanks again for the good words--it was great fun and I can't say enough about the people at Scenic Flights of Acadia. They worked overtime to make this a super memorable vacation--Vicki even watched our dog!!

Sandy

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65296 02/23/08 02:59 PM
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Brought up for Greg's travel

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65297 02/23/08 11:31 PM
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sandy Offline OP
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THanks Fran--for a moment or two I thought I'd pressed the Back to the Future button by mistake again!!

Sandy wink wink wink

Re: New Hampshire & Maine Lighthouses, LSS, Monuments - September, 2007 #65298 02/24/08 12:09 AM
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Thanks, too! I'd been referencing the thread, but it's much easier now that it's right up at the top! smile


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