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Matinicus Rock Lighthouse Fun Facts
Location: 6 mi. south of Matinicus Island
Closest City: Rockland, Maine
Latitude: 43.7841 Longitude: -68.8549
Body of Water: Gulf of Maine
Open to Public: Yes
Station Established: 1827
Present Tower Activated: 1857
Status of Light: Operational
Tower Height: 48 ft.
Optic: VRB-25, Solar Powered, 1993
Third Order Fresnel, 1857
National Register Reference #: 88000149
Listing Name: Matinicus Rock Light Station
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The station on Matinicus Rock, located 25 miles from the nearest mainland port at Rockland and 6 miles from Matinicus Island, was first established in 1827 with the construction of two wooden towers. Each tower stood at opposite ends of the keeper's quarters which were built at the same time.
This station, along with the station on Monhegan Island, is one of the first seen by mariners returning to the mainland. The dual lights were intended to make Matinicus Rock distinguishable from the other stations to assist mariners in understanding their position. Much to the surprise of many, the wooden towers survived for almost 20 years amid the fierce storms and cold that continually batter this 30 acre, bare, rocky island. By the mid-1840s, the original towers were reaching a state of serious disrepair. Two new granite towers, designed by Boston architect-engineer Alexander Parris (who also designed the Saddleback Ledge and Mount Desert Rock lighthouses), were erected in 1846, with one at each end of a new, two-story, rectangular granite keeper's dwelling.
The Matinicus Rock lighthouse station, on average enshrouded in fog one of every five days, received an 1,800 pound fog bell in 1855 which quickly proved ineffective. A steam fog signal was installed the following year and the previous horn was used only as a backup. The lamp-and-reflector beacons installed in the new towers, intended to be visible up to 14 miles, fell far short of expectation. By 1857, the Lighthouse Board had ordered the construction of two new granite towers. The 1846 towers were cut down to the height of the keeper's quarters and new towers were built better than 60 yards apart (see picture above), which can be a considerable distance to traverse in a nasty storm and/or in freezing weather. This greater separation was meant to make each tower more distinguishable from a distance, but it did little to help. The two lights still blended together when viewed from an approaching ship. This caused confusion for mariners that were searching for two separate lights as a means to benchmark their position.
The new 48 foot towers, built using massive, cut-granite blocks, were outfitted with third order Fresnel lenses which were visible at twenty-three miles. During the mid 1860s, the island's fresh water supply became a concern. The orignal keeper's dwelling was dismantled to make room for a brick cistern to catch rainwater. In mid-1883, the south tower light was changed from white to red and the use of the north tower was discontinued. This greatly reduced visibility of the light. Five years later, the south light was restored to its original white and the north tower was reactivated. Matinicus Rock remained a two-light station until 1924 when the Bureau of Lighthouses abandoned the multi-tower approach altogether. The lantern room was removed from the north tower (see picture at right), which still stands at the site along with the bases of the 1846 towers and the granite keeper's house.
The remaining light was automated in 1983. The optic was replaced in 1993 with a solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon visible at twenty-four miles. The south tower's Fresnel lens along with the original fog bell and part of a diaphone fog signal are on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland. This site is owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Audobon Society uses the keeper's residence and the other buildings on site to support research on the island. The Society's Puffin Project was successful in restoring a bird population to the island that had practically disappeared at one point. The site is open to the public (207-546-2124) from September through March, when the birds are not using the habitat.
The history of the Matinicus Rock lighthouse cannot be considered complete with including the story of one of Maine's most legendary and dedicated keepers, Abigail Burgess Grant.
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Lighthouse Accessibility
- This site is open to the public (207-546-2124)
September through March.
- This light may be viewable via a local boat tour.
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View the Interactive Map
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