Saturday, January 7, 2012

Ladies Delight Light

Here it is, an unusual story indeed - click to enlarge
  Ladies Delight is the only inland lighthouse in Maine, it's located on Lake Cobbosseecontee in South Central Maine, near Augusta.
  Built in 1908 the tower is 25 feet tall and the lamp is lit by a 100 watt bulb.  The light is intensified by the lens of a ships anchor light.  The purpose of the light was to make sure the passenger launch from one end of the lake didn't run aground on the ledge.
  The Cobbosseecontee Yacht Club erected the tower with the help of two oxen.  Due to the size of their barge, they could only transport one at a time. They took the first one to the island, and then returned to shore for the second. In the interval the first ox grew lonely, and began swimming back to the mainland as the workers returned with its partner. Finally, both oxen were successfully transported, and the lighthouse was built over the course of the summer. (from Wikipedia)
A featured painting
A different view

Friday, January 6, 2012

Rockland Breakwater Light

At the breakwaters end - click to enlarge
  Rockland, formerly known as Thomaston, was a shipping port for cement back in the mid 1800's, there were about eighty producers of the ground and baked limestone lining the shore of the town.  A lot of lumber also left the port.
  There was, or is, a ledge running out to sea from the northern shore of the town, and storms frequently semi-flooding the lime kilns; a small temporary light was installed and finally Congress acted and approved the building of the breakwater and eventually the light.
  It took 700,000 tons of granite blocks to construct the breakwater, it stretches 4300 feet out into the bay, the brick light was built at the end.  During construction the "temporary" light was moved along the end.
  In 1965 after the light was automated with an optic lens, it still produces a white flash every four seconds, the Coast Guard wanted to demolish the buildings.  Public outcry convinced the Coast Guard to sell the properties.  The Samoset Resort kept up the buildings for a few years while an organization was established to care for the properties.  The buildings have been rehabilitated and a float and boat pier established at the end of the breakwater.
  Many people walk the breakwaters 4300 foot length, my lovely wife among them, I have been part way out on a bad day.
The "temporary" beacon.
In 2011 Schooners in a race passed the Light.
An aerial look at the Light and breakwater.
People walking out, December 2011, a dangerous act (my opinion).

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Pumpkin Island Light

My vote for prettiest lighthouse
  This lighthouse was built in 1852 in eastern Penobscot Bay to protect shipping in the Eggemoggin Reach the passage between the Bay and Blue Hill Bay.
  The lens was replace on at least two occasions when these lanes were busy with ships carrying lumber from Maine to other markets.
  The lighthouse was de-activated in 1933, and the Coast Guard sold the property and the lighthouse to the Town of Deer Isle.
  The lighthouse can be viewed from land by driving to near the end of Maine 15, turn right on Eggemoggin Road and continue to the end.  It gets my vote for prettiest regardless of what people said about yesterday entry on this blog.
A view from the air.
The whole Island
A photo from the 1870's

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Burnt Coat Harbor Light

Up on Hockamock Head, Burnt Coat Harbor Light - click to enlarge
  It took a good many years to replace the range lights that had been placed at the entrance to this harbor on Swans Island, Maine.  Finally in 1895 and at a cost of $12,000.00 the square brick tower was built with an attached, at the time, two story keepers house, and an oil shed.
  The lights fourth-order Fresnel lens was replace by a skeleton town and a small optical light, mariners complained to the Coast Guard and the original tower was refurbished and a 20mm Optic Lens was installed.  The tower was discovered to be leaking at that time and the paint was removed and the "bare" brick was coated with a sealant.  Mariners complained, again, that the lighthouse was hard to see against the dark background and was given a coat of white paint.
  The Town of Swans Island has restored the house and completely replace the roof, and this light is considered by some to be the pettiest and snuggest light on the coast of Maine.  I'm sure others would argue that point, we all have our favorites.
From the air you can see a lot of bare rock.
Solar panels supply power to the light
The Oil House

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Bass Harbor Head Light

Way up on the rocks - click on photo
    This light is located in the Bass Harbor village of the Town of Tremont on Mount Desert Island, bordering Acadia National Park.
    Authorized in 1855 and completed in 1858 it is a brick tower attached to a one and one half story house.  The house now is home to the Commander of the local Coast Guard Station, prime quarters it is.
   This lighthouse is the favorite of my daughter Rhonda, I remember she was excited when she saw it the first time.  It is, after all, in a stunning location, well visited and photographed too.
View from the tower
An aerial view of some years ago
The second American coin with a lighthouse,
soon to be released in the America the Beautiful series.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Spring Point Ledge Light...

Spring Point Ledge and breakwater - click to enlarge
  ...opened in 1867 and built of iron lined with brick.  This type of light is call a "sparkplug light", a close look will tell you why.  The tower stands 54 feet.  The breakwater was added years after the light was built.
  This light is the very favorite of my lovely Wife, Linda, and it's been visited many times.  It was within easy walking distance when we lived in South Portland.
  The light is located on the grounds of the old Fort Preble, and Southern Maine Community College, also in sight is Willard Beach, a city maintained beach for swimming in Casco Bay.  The channel here gets a lot of traffic of ship to and from the Pipeline in South Portland, and shipping into or out of the Port of Portland; and by Linda and the stroller when Jon and Hollie were babies.
View from the top
...and in winter. - click   Photo by Marc-marcopolomusic
Willard Beach on a cold day. click to enlarge  Photo by Marc-marcopolomusic

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Pemaquid Point Light

That's a long ledge, click to enlarge it's worth it
                                                        HAPPY NEW YEAR!
     Pemaquid is the Abenaki Indian word for situated far out and indeed it is.  Pemaquid is located in a part of Bristol on one of the many "fingers" along the Maine coast.
   In 1826 Congress allotted a sum of money for construction of the first lighthouse on the point, they also paid the grand sum of $90.00 for the land, the land was purchased from a couple who were survivors of a ship wreck on that spot.  The construction was finished in 1827 and the rubble stone and mortar tower was lit by four oil lamps with reflectors.  The tower was demolished and re-constructed some time later because the mason while building the tower had mixed the mortar with salt water.  The contract for the new work stipulated the use of fresh water for mixing mortar.
  Pemaquid Light was the first lighthouse to ever appear on American money when the Maine quarter was issued in 2003.

View from the tower...
...and a view from land.
Renovation work in 2007, new motor and a fresh coat.