Bass Harbor Head Light
Encyclopedia
Bass Harbor Head Light is a lighthouse
located within Acadia National Park
on the southeast corner of Mount Desert Island
, Maine
, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay.
. $5000 was appropriated by Congress for its construction in 1858. The construction of a fog bell and tower, which no longer remains today, was completed in 1876 with a much larger 4000 pound (1800 kg) bell being placed inside the tower in 1898. The keeper's house remains in its original configuration with the exception of a 10-foot addition that was added in 1900. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as Bass Harbor Head Light Station on January 21, 1988, reference number 87002273.
In 1902, an oil storage house constructed of brick was built 205 feet northwest of the lighthouse.
Bass Harbor's fifth order Fresnel lens
was replaced in 1902 with a larger fourth order. This lens was manufactured by the French company Henry-Lepaute. This lens remains in service today.
member and his family. Tourists can get close to the bell and light via a concrete path, but most of the grounds remain private. There is a short walk which takes you to a series of wooden steps that lead you down onto the many granite boulders that provide a great view of the harbor side of the lighthouse.
John Rick (1861-1865)
John Wilson (1865-1869)
Charles B. Gilley (1869-1872)
James L. Wilson (1872-1880)
C. F. Chase (1880-1890)
William T. Holbrook (1890-1894)
Willis Dolliver (1894-1912)
Joseph M. Gray (c.1921-1938)
Elmer Reed (1938-1940)
Eugene L. Coleman (?)
Leverett Stanley (1940-1950)
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located within Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is a National Park located in the U.S. state of Maine. It reserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast...
on the southeast corner of Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay.
History
The history of Bass Harbor Head Light started in 1855 when it was deemed that there was sufficient reason for a lighthouse at the mouth of Bass HarborBass Harbor
Bass Harbor is a village in Hancock County, Maine, United States. It is within the town of Tremont on Mount Desert Island, and near Acadia National Park. With its well-protected natural harbor, it ranks as one of the most lucrative lobster producing ports in the state. Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse...
. $5000 was appropriated by Congress for its construction in 1858. The construction of a fog bell and tower, which no longer remains today, was completed in 1876 with a much larger 4000 pound (1800 kg) bell being placed inside the tower in 1898. The keeper's house remains in its original configuration with the exception of a 10-foot addition that was added in 1900. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Bass Harbor Head Light Station on January 21, 1988, reference number 87002273.
In 1902, an oil storage house constructed of brick was built 205 feet northwest of the lighthouse.
Bass Harbor's fifth order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
was replaced in 1902 with a larger fourth order. This lens was manufactured by the French company Henry-Lepaute. This lens remains in service today.
Viewing
Today, the house is a private residence for a local Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
member and his family. Tourists can get close to the bell and light via a concrete path, but most of the grounds remain private. There is a short walk which takes you to a series of wooden steps that lead you down onto the many granite boulders that provide a great view of the harbor side of the lighthouse.
Keepers
John Thurston (1858-1861)John Rick (1861-1865)
John Wilson (1865-1869)
Charles B. Gilley (1869-1872)
James L. Wilson (1872-1880)
C. F. Chase (1880-1890)
William T. Holbrook (1890-1894)
Willis Dolliver (1894-1912)
Joseph M. Gray (c.1921-1938)
Elmer Reed (1938-1940)
Eugene L. Coleman (?)
Leverett Stanley (1940-1950)
External links
- http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhphoto&fileName=me/me0200/me0220/photos/browse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Bass%20Harbor%20Head%20Light%20Station,%20At%20southwest%20tip%20of%20Mount%20Desert%20Island%20off%20State%20Route%20102,%20Bass%20Harbor,%20Hancock%20County,%20ME&displayType=1&itemLink=D?hh:1:./temp/~ammem_Z5MU::Photos of Bass Harbor Head Light - Library of Congress - Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record]