This lighthouse at the southern end of East Penobscot Bay was a very difficult assignment for keepers. Believe it or not, the first keeper here, Watson Y. Hopkins, lived inside the tower with his wife and seven children. There were only three rooms!
In September 1843, Hopkins' wife gave birth to a baby girl. A week later, a boat came to the ledge to take the mother and daughter to the mainland. During the transfer to the boat, the baby was dropped briefly into the icy waves. She was quickly plucked out of the water before any serious harm was done.
Click here for more on this lighthouse.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Photo of the Day: Saddleback Ledge Lighthouse, Maine
Sunday, December 20, 2009
What a fool sees at 6am during a blizzard
This is just a beautiful image of one of New England's most photogenic little lighthouses, Brant Point Light on Nantucket, Massachusetts. It was taken at the height of the snowstorm that just buried much of the East Coast.
I didn't take this photo (although I wish I did), but I saw it on Flickr and it was too good not to share.
Photo of the Day: Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Photo of the Day: Isle au Haut Lighthouse, Maine
I took this photo during my one and only visit to Isle au Haut -- I believe it was June 1996. I've photographed the lighthouse from the water a couple of times since then, but I haven't been back on the island.
The keeper's house at this lighthouse was run as a bed & breakfast inn from the late 1980s until recently by Jeff and Judi Burke. The inn has closed, but you can rent the keeper's house or an adjacent building by the week; see www.keepershouse.com
The author Linda Greenlaw spent summers here as a kid. You can read about it in her book, The Lobster Chronicles.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wreaths at Portsmouth Harbor & Portland Head Lights
From Bob Trapani, executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation:
Here are two features with a Christmas holiday connection. This year at both Portsmouth Harbor and Portland Head lights, the wreaths established on the towers involved the U.S. Coast Guard, which is neat from both lighthouse heritage and community partnership perspectives.
Photo of the Day: Halfway Rock Lighthouse, Maine
This was taken during my first cruise near Halfway Rock, circa 1999. I've only been close to this lighthouse twice, both times on Les McNelly's boat Sea Escape II.
I'm always fascinated by remote offshore lighthouses like this. It's so hard to imagine living somewhere like this all year, through storms and all kinds of conditions. I interviewed a former Coast Guard keeper a few years ago and wrote this story.
This dramatic lighthouse is licensed to the American Lighthouse Foundation.
You can also read more on my website.
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