Grindle Point Light

Standing on guard, a Wikipedia photo - click

  Located on the island of Islesboro this light was established in 1848.  At that time Gilkey Harbor on the island was a bustling port.  Islesboro is now a summer haven for actors like John Travolta and Kristie Alley.
  The light was de-commisioned in 1934, but was restored to service in 1987 with solar power.  The light remains an active aid to navigation.
  There is also a museum on the grounds with Lighthouse Keeper display and other nautical pieces.
To visit you would need to take a ferry from the mainland from Lincolnville (between Belfast and Camden).

The Islesboro/Lincolnville Ferry (State of Maine photo)

A Coast Guard photo from the late 1800's

A wider view (State of Maine photo)

Great Duck Island Light

The Light on Great Duck Island (wikipedia)

  Mariners asked that a light be built in 1823, after being rebuffed numerous time Congress allowed
the amount of $30,000.00 for the construction and purchase of property.  Work began in November 1890, in January, just months before, a lumber schooner from Lubec, Maine ran aground and sank on Great Duck, 3 sailors were killed and are buried on the island.
  Construction consisted of a double boat slip, the Light itself and three keepers houses.  Also built were an oil house and a building for the fog horn and bell.
  A son of a former keeper once reported that the fog horn once sounded for 13 straight days, his quote "it's noisy down there", sums it up nicely.
  The light was automated in 1986, the land and buildings are now owned by the College of the Atlantic (www.coa.edu) in nearby Bar Harbor.  The College uses the remaining keepers house as a "headquarters" for the studies conducted on the island.  The Island itself is home to many pairs of breeding birds which aid the students in their research.

The remaining house (www.coa.edu)

An aerial view when all buildings were intact (USCG)

Locations of Lights in Frenchmans Bay

Goose Rocks Light

Nice photo by www.unc.edu of the light

  Goose Rocks Light stands between Vinalhaven Island and North Haven Island in the Fox Island Thorofare.  There are fifty islands in the Fox Island group, so we've already listed several lights in that area.
  This light is typical of the sparkplug lights built during the late 1800's and early in the 1900's.  Goose Rocks was built in 1890 with a cast iron caisson filled with concrete.  It was painted red until 1908 when the present paint scheme was adopted.  It can be reached only by a small boat, the boat was hoisted up to the deck because the tides run nine to ten feet.
  A Coast Guard Crew during 1958-1960 left an apt description of living on the Light.  There was a crew of three, and one of them was always off duty and onshore.  The other two took turns working 12 hour shifts, someone was always awake to log changes in the weather.  The fog bell ran with a mechanism must like a clock, and during times of fog had to be wound, like a clock, every four hours.  The water was collected rain water, the light, interior lights, TV, and radio were all run one one battery, which was charged by a diesel engine.  The bathroom consisted of a one-hole affair and the waste was discharged overboard.  To take a bath water was heated on the gas stove.  Each crew was assigned for two years, but the duty was enjoyed - because no one else wanted their jobs!
  The light flashes red every 6 seconds with a white sector.

How the lens is set up to show the white sector.

A Coast Guard photo shows the power now that
the light is automated.

Goose Rock is located right about
center on this map

Goat Island Light

Picture perfect. a wikipedia photo of Goat Island Light

  Located just outside the harbor of Cape Porpoise, a village in the Town of Kennebunkport, the light was established in 1833.  A fifth order Fresnel Lens was installed in 1859.
  The Light was automated in 1990, the property is now owned by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, it is a very well cared for place.
  During the term of George Herbert Walker Bush the Secret Service often had agents on the island which has a great view of Walkers Point, the summer home of President Bush.
  During a bad storm in 1947 Coast Guard Keeper Joseph Bakken, who lived there with his wife and children, reported that waves washed over the island and destroyed the covered walkway and the boat slip.  In all of the confusion and hurry they forgot about their dog and her new puppies.  After the storm the Keeper went to the flooded basement, floating on the water was a box with the dog and her puppies.  I guess Coast Guard dogs are Semper Paratus (Always Prepared) just like the rest of the United States Coast Guard.

An 1835 photo shows the old tower

an 1859 Coast Guard photo shows the new (present) tower - make sure
you enlarge this photo it's very detailed and clear

The Bell Town reconstructed by The Kennebunkport Conservation Society
www.thekennebunkportconservationsociety.org

Franklin Island Light

"..back in the day", my daughter would say. Wikipedia photo - click

  Franklin Island is a 12 acre spot at the entrance to Muscongus Bay, it's six miles from Friendship, and midway between Pemaquid Point and Port Clyde.  The light can only be seen by boat and the tower, all that remains, is off limits to visitors.
  Congress authorized the Franklin Island Light in 1806 and building was complete in 1807 the wooden tower showed a white light 50 feet above the high water line.  Also completed was the
keepers house, the first keeper stayed there for 23 years.
  The tower was replaced in 1831 with a rubblestone tower that raised the light a bit, it had 10 lamps with 13 inch reflectors.  In 1850 this tower was replaced with a new 45 foot tall tower made of brick, and a new keepers quarters was built at the same time, it was a great improvement.
  This light was automated in 1933 and is still an active aid to navigation, all that remain are the tower and lantern and the oil house.

A Coast Guard photo in the 1870's

A Coast Guard photo taken after automation. Also seen is most of Franklin Island.

An early postcard, on file at the Smithsonian Institution, this photo shows
the light just before automation and tearing down the house.

Fort Point Light

Fort Point Light is a pretty picture in this nelights.com photo - click

  Fort Point Light was established in 1836 to protect vessels on the west side of the Penobscot River; those ships going or coming from the Port of Bangor.  This is the other lighthouse with a square tower that is round inside.
  The Bell Tower is still intact, one of a very few remaining in New England, and it's now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The bell ,which was replaced by a fog horn, hangs outside for people to see.
  Fort Point itself is now a part of the Maine State Park System and the keepers are Terry and Jerilyn Cole (lucky folks).

As it appeared in the 1890"s in this Coast Guard photo

nelightsandbeyound.com shows this Bell Tower photo

The Oil House as shown in Wikipedia

A personal note:  I have returned from 2 nights at Eastern Maine Medical Center, I was treated in that wonderful manner folks have come to expect.  I was admitted for a series of heart test.  I sometimes get lightheaded and my pulse spikes and blood pressure gets high.  All of the tests, as in the past, show I have no heart defects, so the mystery continues.

As always you can browse http://lighthouse.cc for more information.

Egg Rock Light (Maine)

On the high point, Egg Rock Light from Wikipedia - click

    The Light was established in November 1875 to accommodate increased traffic at the Port of Bar Harbor.  A short square brick tower built in the middle of the keepers house, the light was a fifth order Fresnel lens showing a steady red.
   Shortly after, in March 1876, a heavy storm washed over the island, all was lost except the house, light and the keeper.  The keeper found his boat but it was badly damaged, the boat was replaced and a new boathouse was built.  This was the first of three storms which completely engulfed the station.
  A new compressed-air fog horn was installed in 1904, partly in response to the USS Massachusetts running aground the year before, the horn blew 348 hours during the month of July 1906 alone; sleep must have been hard to come by.
  The Coast Guard keepers were removed in 1976 and the light was automated with rotating aero beacons.
  This has been considered to be the least attractive Light in Maine.

1946 - the keeper brings back his provisions

An early aerial view, there was no lantern on the tower.

You can find more at http://lighthouse.cc