Lighthouses of Maine

Lighthouses have a mysterious draw. There is something so irresistible and comforting in that eternal pulsing light, like a steady heartbeat felt from deep within a womb. The function of the lighthouse is to shield and protect us, while at the same time warning us to stay back, danger lies ahead if you come this way. The concept of providing a beacon of light along a rocky shore to a ship stranded at sea has evolved from blazing fires burning high on a hill, to a kettle of blazing tar set atop a pole, to strobe lights housed behind beveled glass inside a rock tower in what we today call a Lighthouse. With the automation of lighthouses in the last century, the days of lighthouse keepers and their families keeping lonely vigil at remote outposts has gone to the wayside. Today the "keepers" are mostly volunteers providing visitors like us with the history and romance of the lighthouse. There are 57 active lighthouses in Maine, and we had a chance to visit two of them during our week along the Atlantic Coast. The first one, Owls Head, is located on Penobscot Bay, was built in 1826, and was automated in 1989. It sits 100 feet above sea level and can be seen for 16 nautical miles. The second one, Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland Harbor, is located almost one mile out on a manmade stone jetty, a fun walk on a pretty summer day. Built in 1888 and automated in 1964, it sits 39 feet above sea level and can be seen for 17 nautical miles. Here are some pictures from our visits.