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Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse Fun Facts
Location: Hockamock Head / Swans Island
Closest City: Swans Island, Maine
Latitude: 44.1342 Longitude: -68.4478
Body of Water: Atlantic Ocean
Open to Public: Yes
Station Established: 1872
Present Tower Activated: 1872
Status of Light: Operational
Tower Height: 32 ft.
Optic: 250 mm, 1975
Fifth Order Fresnel, 1872
National Register Reference #: 87002272
Listing Name: Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station
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Originally one of a pair of range lights (see picture below right) built in 1872 to mark the entrance to the harbor, the present-day Burnt Coat Harbor lighthouse became an only child in 1885. As with any range lights, mariners attempted to line up the two lights, one behind the other, upon approach. Doing so indicated safe passage into the harbor. The number of shipwrecks, however, actually increased with the introduction of the range lights. The Lighthouse Board ended up removing the smaller of the two towers, leaving a single lantern at the mouth of the harbor on Hockamock Head.
A 1.5 story, wooden, L-shaped, Cape Cod-style keeper's house was built at the same time as the square, masonry, 32 foot tower. The two were originally connected via a covered passageway which is no longer there. Other buildings at the site include a brick oil house (1895) and a wooden, trapezoid-shaped fog signal building (1911).
The 6,000 acre Swans Island has hosted some colorful characters over the years. Its first inhabitant, James Kench, arrived via Burnt Coat Harbor in 1776 having deserted from the Revolutionary Army in quite a deranged state. He lived on the island in relative solitude for roughly a decade until, as luck would have it, his old army commander, Colonel James Swan, bought the island along with along with 23 others located nearby. Swan's interests were purely self-serving. After being a leading figure in Boston Tea Party and fighting meritoriously against monarchal tyranny, Swan wanted to setup his own empire on the islands and had a very large mansion built to serve as his castle/headquarters. He offered 100 acres of land to anyone that would settle on one of his islands for seven years. In following years, Swan had to flee the U.S. to France due to financial troubles. He spent the final 22 years of his life in a French prison after being convicted of embezzlement, never having stayed at his luxurious mansion.
While Swans Island averted one ruler, it did not avoid "King" David Smith who had his own ideas about populating the island. Smith fathered 24 children with his three wives which led to more than 50 grandchildren. Descendants of the Smith family live on Swans Island to this day.
Legend states that Burnt Coat Harbor got its name from the French phrase "brule cote", which means "burnt coast". French explorer Samuel de Champlain landed in the area in 1604 to discover an island that had been charred by fire. The story goes that "brule cote" eventually made its way into English as "Burnt Coat". Another legend states that James Kench, in his fury, burned his army coat.
The Burnt Coat Harbor lighthouse was automated in 1975 and the Fresnel lens was replaced by a 250mm optic. The site is owned by the town of Swans Island and is a popular picnic site. The tower is still an active aid to navigaion and is not open to the public.
Lighthouse Accessibility
- Swans Island is located several miles from the
mainland and can only be accessed by boat.
- Car ferries are available out of Bass Harbor.
- This light may be viewable via a local boat tour.
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