| Beacons of Beauty |
Maine has more lighthouses than any other state in the US, except one (Michigan), so you'll never be far away from one as you drive the Down East Coast. Elegant structures such as Portland Head Lighthouse, first approved by George Washington, are magnets for photographers. Numerous styles of lighthouses - brick, stone, cast iron, marine foundation- can all be seen in a few hours in Portland's Casco Bay. How about spending a night at a lighthouse? Isle au Haut, Acadia's island paradise, offers that option at its "Keeper's House" bed and breakfast. Enjoy birding? Why not take a day trip out to the Petit Manan Lighthouse off Bar Harbor, which doubles as a puffin rookery much of the year. |
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Petit Manan Lighthouse is Maine's second tallest, standing 123 feet above mean high water on one of the foggiest locations on the East Coast. Samuel de Champlain named the island for Grand Manan, another larger island to the northeast. The name "Manan"comes from the Micmac Indian word for "island out to sea." Established in 1817, and rebuilt with granite in 1855, the island now belongs to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is used as a wildlife refuge. The island now supports colonies of common arctic and roseate terns, Atlantic puffins and common eiders. |
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Portland Head Light is the patriarch of Maine's lighthouses and marks the state's bustling Portland Harbor. It boasts a combination of historic significance and beauty which make it possibly the most visited, photographed and painted lighthouse in the country. Originally built in 1790 through an authorization by President George Washington, the lighthouse and its setting particularly inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who found the site's tranquility particularly well-suited to inspiring his poetry. |
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Owl's Head Lighthouse was built in 1825 in response to the growing lime trade in nearby Rockland and Thomaston. Boaters approaching the light and rocky bluff from out at sea described the sight as resembling an owl, leading to the designation. While there are no records of actual owls frequenting the site, a springer spaniel named Spot is a well known part of the lighthouse's history. Spot learned to pull the fog bell with his teeth when seeing an approaching vessel. Boats would answer with a whistle or bell, prompting a bark from the dog. One night when the fog bell rope was buried in the snow, Spot stood up at the point barking constantly to warn captains to guide their vessels around the point. Today, Spot is buried prominently on the hillside near the location of the fog bell. |
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Maine's Lighthouse Museum is located on the revitalized waterfront of downtown Rockland overlooking the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse and Penobscot Bay. Founded a decade ago by former Coast Guard lighthouse manager Ken Black, the museum has more fesnel lenses on display than anywhere else in North America. It also has information on how to get to virtually any lighthouse in Maine. For more information, click to visit Maine's Lighthouse Museum. |
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