Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse by Greg Marlett

Located at the entrance to Casco Bay, the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse is Maine's first "twin light." Originally the lighthouse had both an East and a West tower, but the West tower was deactivated in 1924 when the Lighthouse Service ruled that all twin lights had to be converted to single beacons.

The two towers were originally built in 1828 of rubblestone, but were rebuilt of cast iron in 1874. The towers and the grounds, which also comprised a gingerbread keeper's house and fog signal building, were frequently painted by Edward Hopper in the 1920s. One of the paintings was even made into a stamp commemorating Maine's 150-year anniversary in 1970!

The residence and grounds of this lighthouse are privately owned by William Kourakos. In 1998, despite protestations by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, the keeper's house was demolished and replaced by a much larger replica and two-car garage. Today, the grounds and residence do not look anything like the image depicted in Hopper's paintings.
The lighthouse can be viewed and photograph from the end of the property's driveway.

Year Established: 1828

Year Automated: 1963

Shape: Conical, attached to entrance room.

Height: 67 ft.

Characteristic: Sequence of four white flashes every 15 seconds. Fog signal: Two blasts every 60 seconds.

Accessibility: At the end of Two Lights Road in the town of Cape Elizabeth, there is a parking lot that allows you to view the tower from a distance. For a better view, park in this lot and walk back down Two Lights Road until you come to Two Lights Terrace. You'll be able to see and photograph the lighthouse from the end of the driveway

Wood Island Light by Greg Marlett

Woods Island Light is a wonderfully romantic lighthouse, especially when viewed in solitude from the Audubon Society preserve on Eastern Point at Biddeford Pool. Here the lighthouse is accompanied by crashing surf, an ocean dotted with islands, and a view of Old Orchard Beach. The tower, which is located on the northeast side of Wood Island Harbor and marks the entrance to the Saco River, can also be seen from the shore of Biddeford Pool and Hills Beach.
Wood Island comprises a 49-foot white conical granite block tower and a one and a half story wooden keeper's house. Both were originally erected in 1808, although the original tower was replaced with another, of the same style, in 1858,

The second oldest lighthouse in Maine, Wood Island Light is not without its stories! Legend says the lighhouse is haunted by a murder victim, and the tower is the location of several dramatic rescues at sea. It is said that it was once inhabited by a dog who rang the fog bell, and in the 1870s was home to a pub and distillery that were burnt by drunken revelers. In the 1940s, during World War II, the light station was visited by a surrendering German submarine!
The lighthouse is reached by boat only. While it is closed to the public, tours can be arranged by the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse, P.O. Box 26, Biddeford Pool, ME 04006.

Year Established: 1808

Year Automated: 1986

Shape: Conical

Height: 49 ft.

Characteristic: Alternating white and green flashes every ten seconds. Fog signal: two blasts every 30 seconds.

Accessibility: The light is accessible only by boat and is closed to the public, although tours can be arranged through the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse. The tower can be viewed along the shore of Biddeford Pool and Hills Beach, as well as from the Audubon Society preserve on East Point at Biddeford Pool.

Author: Greg Marlett, Copyright 2007, All rights reserved

Goat Island Light by Greg Marlett

Goat Island Light is located at the Cape Porpoise Harbor entrance in Kennebunkport. It has the distinction of being Maine's last manned lighthouse, and also served as a guard station for the summer home of the former President George Bush. During his tenure it was not uncommon for helicopters holding dignitaries to land there, and Bush himself would often take a break from his fishing to visit with the keeper!

The 20-foot rubblestone tower and and wooden keeper's cottage were built in 1835; the original tower was taken down in 1860 and replaced with a brick tower in Federal Period architecture. The tower you see today is very plain, short, and free of decoration. Other buildings include a keeper's house built in 1859, a boathouse built in 1905, and an oil house built in 1907.

The island is inhabited by a family during the summer, and a man and his dog live there from October through June. The light is accessible by boat only, and any visitor who can get there is welcome to stop by and take a look around. Tours can also be arranged.

Year Established: 1833

Year Automated: 1990

Shape: Cylindrical

Height: 25 ft.

Characteristic: Flashing white every six seconds. Fog signal: one blast every 15 seconds.

Accessibility: The light is accessible only by boat but can be visited by the public via special arrangement. The best place to view the tower is from the municipal pier at Cape Porpoise, a village in the town of Kennebunkport.

Author Greg Marlett, Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved