Narraguagus Light

Narraguagus Light is a lighthouse on Pond Island at the southern extent of Narraguagus Bay in Downeast Maine. It was built as an aid to navigation for the bay, and the port of Milbridge, then an important deep-water shipbuilding port. It was deactivated in 1934, and is now privately owned. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Narraguagus Light Station" on November 20, 1987.[2]

Narraguagus Light
LocationNarraguagus Bay
Coordinates44°27′21.5″N 67°49′52.35″W
Year first constructed1853
Deactivated1934
FoundationStone
ConstructionGranite blocks
Tower shapeCylindrical attached to workroom
Markings / patternWhite[1]
Tower height9.5 metre 
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Narraguagus Light Station
Nearest cityMilbridge, Maine
Area1.5 acres (0.61 ha)
ArchitectUS Army Corps of Engineers
MPSLight Stations of Maine MPS
NRHP reference No.87002022[2]
Added to NRHPNovember 20, 1987

Description and history

Narraguagus Bay is a broad and deep indentation on the southeastern coast of Maine, and is dotted with islands and rock ledges. The Narraguagus River empties into the west side of the bay, where the town of Milbridge is located. Pond Island is one of the larger islands marking the southern extent of the bay, where it opens into the larger Gulf of Maine. Narraguagus Light is set in a small clearing on the east side of the island.[3]

The light station consists of a circular brick tower, from which an L-shaped work room connects to the keeper's residence. The tower is 31 feet (9.4 m) from base to lantern, with an iron deck and railing surrounding the ten-sided lantern house, from which the lens has been removed. The lantern house is capped by a spherical ventilator. The L-shaped workroom is a single-story brick structure, and the keeper's house is a 1-1/2 story wood frame structure. The property also includes two wood frame sheds.[3]

The light station was established in 1853, one year after the United States Lighthouse Board was established to build and manage the nation's lighthouses. The tower is original, dating to 1853, and was originally built with the keeper's house around it. The current keeper's house dates to 1875, around the time when the present lantern house railing was installed. The light was deactivated in 1934, and the property has been sold into private hands.[3]

Keepers[4]
  • Joseph Brown (1853-1855)
  • Wyman Collins (1855-1859)
  • Daniel Chipman (1859-1861)
  • Alfred Wallace (1862-1865)
  • Joseph W. Brown (1865-1869)
  • George L. Upton (1869-1876)
  • Solomon G. Kelliher (1876-1880)
  • Ambrose Wallace (1880-1882)
  • Warren A. Murch (1882-1885)
  • James M. Gates (1885-1893)
  • William C. Gott (1893-1915)
  • Lester Leighton (1919)
  • Charles E. Tracy (1929)

See also

References
  1. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Maine". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. 2009-08-06. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. "NRHP nomination for Narraguagus Light". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  4. "History of Narraguagus Light, Milbridge, Maine". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
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