Lighthouses Downeast and in Frenchman Bay

WRITTEN BY RICHARD SHAW

Who doesn’t love to photograph a weather-beaten Maine lighthouse? Sixty-five of these silent sentinels dot the state’s coastline, from Kittery to Calais. No two are alike, and they never seem to change. The state should initiate an essay contest asking visitors what attracts them most.

“Lighthouses are a romantic throwback to a bygone era,” said Brian Swartz, a writer and photographer. “I have photographed 75% to 80% of these historic landmarks, some from the air. My favorite is West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, the nation’s easternmost point. Its rocky shoreline is waiting to be explored.”

Numerous books have chronicled these beacons through the years. Two of the best are Courtney Thompson’s Maine Lighthouses: A Pictorial Guide and the paperback The Islandport Guide to Lighthouses in Maine, co-written by Thompson and Ted Panayotoff.

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network aired a program in 2024 titled Safe Harbors: Lighthouses of Maine, which featured aerial footage of all of Maine’s lights. It can be viewed at PBS.org.

A grab bag of Maine lighthouse trivia might be a best-seller. In the interest of brevity, the following list is limited to the 18 beacons of Frenchman Bay and Washington County’s Downeast coast. Others are located near the Schoodic Peninsula. Consider booking a lighthouse or whale-watch tour out of Bar Harbor or other ports, as many of these treasures are viewable only from the sea.

Biggest sheep magnet: Nash Island Light. This island’s grassy, hilly terrain has long attracted grazing livestock. Visitors might mistake it for Scotland, complete with its own 36-foot lighthouse tower. Part privately owned and part protected by a land trust, the island is not visible from the mainland.

Most colorful design: West Quoddy Head Light. No other Maine lighthouse sports a red-and-white striped motif, inspired by lighthouses in the adjacent Canadian Maritimes. Nearby Campobello Island has two lights worth visiting: East Quoddy Head Light and Mulholland Point Light.

Leading tourist meccas: Bass Harbor Head Light and West Quoddy Head Light. Thanks to their accessibility and beautiful vistas, these two lighthouses lead the others mentioned here in annual visitation. The former appeared on a commemorative Maine quarter and was visited by President Obama and his family in 2010.

Really tall light tower: Petit Manan Light. Maine’s second-highest lighthouse measures 123 feet from base to light and consists of circular, interlocking granite blocks. A survivor of major storm damage, ownership was transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2006. The 1816 light station was automated in 1972, and some adjacent wooden buildings were demolished.

Shortest light tower: Whitlocks Mill Light. This tiny landmark’s cylindrical brick tower stands 25 feet tall. Established in 1892 to aid navigation on the St. Croix River, it is best viewed from a U.S. Route 1 picnic area 2.5 miles south of Calais. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, the same year the St. Croix Historical Society took possession of the lighthouse tower.

Loneliest light station: Mount Desert Rock. Located 20 miles southeast of Mount Desert Island, this rugged 1839 stone landmark is now owned by the College of the Atlantic, which uses it as a biological research station. It is closed to the public, though visitors can view it from tour boat excursions.

History most often told: Baker Island Light. Visitors on boat tours can hear a national park ranger recount the history of this 162-acre island, one of the five Cranberry Isles. Stories include how, in 1806, William and Hannah Gilley and their three children moved from Mount Desert Island to this outpost. The 105-foot tower dates to 1828.