Petit Manan Light
Encyclopedia
Petit Manan Light is a lighthouse
on Petit Manan Island, Maine. The island is at the end of a series of ledges extending out from Petit Manan Point, between Dyer Bay
and Pigeon Hill Bay
.
It was first established in 1817 as a small stone lighthouse. The present structure was built in 1855. The original lens was an enormous second order Fresnel
which is now on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Maine
. Being in a very exposed position, it has suffered storm damage from time to time. In 1856 a storm knocked out some of its blocks. In 1869, it swayed enough that the weights that turn the lens fell, damaging staircase. Finally, in 1887, iron tie rods were installed to stabilize it. The light was out of service for two months in 2001 after a nor'easter damaged its submarine power cable; as a result it was converted to solar power later that year.
The keepers' house was built in 1875. Other structures at the site included a brick fog signal house, an oil house, a boat house and an engine house.
The light station is part of the Petit Manan Wildlife Refuge and is not open to the public. There is a colony of breeding Puffins on the island. There are boat tours to the island.
It is the second tallest light tower in Maine and is very similar to the Boon Island Light
which is slightly taller and was built in the same year. Petit Manan Light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Petit Manan Light Station on October 30, 1987, reference number 87001879.
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....
on Petit Manan Island, Maine. The island is at the end of a series of ledges extending out from Petit Manan Point, between Dyer Bay
Dyer Bay
Dyer Bay is a bay in Steuben, Maine.It is separated from Pigeon Hill Bay to the east by Petit Manan Point, and from Gouldsboro Bay to the west by Dyer Neck.The bay extends roughly 6 mi. and is 1 mi. at its widest....
and Pigeon Hill Bay
Pigeon Hill Bay
Pigeon Hill Bay is a bay in Washington County, Maine.Divided between the towns of Milbridge and Steuben, it is separated from the Gulf of Maine to the east by Bois Bubert Island and from Dyer Bay to the west by Petit Manan Point....
.
It was first established in 1817 as a small stone lighthouse. The present structure was built in 1855. The original lens was an enormous second order Fresnel
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...
which is now on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Maine
Rockland, Maine
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination...
. Being in a very exposed position, it has suffered storm damage from time to time. In 1856 a storm knocked out some of its blocks. In 1869, it swayed enough that the weights that turn the lens fell, damaging staircase. Finally, in 1887, iron tie rods were installed to stabilize it. The light was out of service for two months in 2001 after a nor'easter damaged its submarine power cable; as a result it was converted to solar power later that year.
The keepers' house was built in 1875. Other structures at the site included a brick fog signal house, an oil house, a boat house and an engine house.
The light station is part of the Petit Manan Wildlife Refuge and is not open to the public. There is a colony of breeding Puffins on the island. There are boat tours to the island.
It is the second tallest light tower in Maine and is very similar to the Boon Island Light
Boon Island Light
Boon Island Light is located on the 300x700 foot Boon Island off the southern coast of Maine, United States, near Cape Neddick. Boon Island Light has the distinction of being the tallest lighthouse in both Maine and New England at 133 feet. The lighthouse has a focal plane at 137 feet above mean...
which is slightly taller and was built in the same year. Petit Manan Light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Petit Manan Light Station on October 30, 1987, reference number 87001879.