As Maine’s oldest sentinel, the 1791 Portland Head Light has presided over much in the way of history. Marking the entrance to Portland Harbor, the venerable beacon has stood a faithful watch during …
united states coast guard
West Quoddy Head Light’s Crystalline Treasure
The stately appearance of a lighthouse is something to behold. Such majesty is magnified even further when a sentinel is still wearing its “crown” of crystalline in the form of a Fresnel lens. The …
LEDs are the New Wave of Beacons for Lighthouses
Climb to the top of a Maine lighthouse and one is bound to be astounded by the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding seascape. However, as time marches on and a wave of change rolls in with the tide, …
Coastguardsman Recalls Storms at Bass Harbor Head Light
The picturesque Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, located along the southwestern side of Mount Desert Island in the village of Bass Harbor, exudes a feeling of serenity – presiding over a seascape of pure …
Many Reasons to Love Maine’s Lighthouses
The majestic sentinels of the Maine coast, some of the most beautiful and storied in the nation, transcend time as they continue to stand “watch” over the state’s rocky shorelines, remote islands and …
Portland Head’s Other Guiding Light
For the first 182 years of Portland Head Light’s history, the beacon ablaze at the top of the venerable sentinel was the lone focal point for mariners seeking safe passage in and out of Portland …
Petit Manan’s Puffin Colony is a “Tern-Key” Success
All seabirds have a certain beauty and charm – and all are worthy of efforts to respect and protect them, but one – the puffin, may very well be considered the most adorable of the marine bird …
Outgrowth of the Lighthouse Keeper: USCG Aids to Navigation Teams
Lighthouses and their keepers are inseparable - and always will be as long as they continue to stand, shine bright and bellow out their audible warnings into the future to come. For no matter how many …
Keepers of the Lights
Though lighthouses are no longer staffed by resident keepers in this day and age of automation, there are still dedicated professionals watching over them. When a mariner or landlubber sees a …
Watching Over the Lights
We just celebrated the 231st anniversary of our nation’s Lighthouse Service on August 7th – and what a storied history it is. The rich traditions and legacies that have come to embody “keeping a good …