Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Bass Harbor, Maine
Since 1858, Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse in Maine has been guiding ships into Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay. At first glance, it hardly seems likely that its light could reach far enough to provide any help to mariners; from the front walkway, only the tip of the lighthouse is visible above the lightkeeper’s cottage. Even from back side of the cottage, the squat, round tower has very little presence. Only upon following the trail down the cliffside to view the lighthouse from below does its elevation become apparent.
From the front, only the tip of the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is visible above the lightkeeper's cottage
Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse stands only 32 feet high, but its light is 56 feet above sea level, thanks to the bluff on which it sits. Originally outfitted with a fifth-order Fresnel lens, in 1902 the light was upgraded to a fourth-order lens and a red chimney was placed over the lamp inside the lens to produce a colored that that was visible for thirteen nautical miles. The lighthouse was automated in 1974 and is still today an active aid to navigation.
Follow the path down the cliff for a good view of the light
From the very beginning, Bass Harbor Head was home to single keeper and his family. The first keeper was John Thurston, who was paid $350 per year for his services. The last civilian keeper was Morton M. Dyer, who came to the station in in 1955. Dyer retired two years later at the age of 70 and the station became home to a Coast Guard keeper and his family. Tourists are welcome to roam the grounds. however the inside of the lighthouse is not open to the public and the house is private, as it is the quarters for the Commander of the Coast Guard Group Southwest Harbor. The facility is located at the end of Lighthouse Road off route 102A in Bass Harbor, on land that is today part of Acadia National Park. The grounds are open all year, seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to sunset.
Photo credit: Barbara Weibel
Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels
