Boon Island Lighthouse By Gregory Marlett

It's often very difficult to separate the interesting physical attributes, characteristics and surroundings of historically significant buildings, such as lighthouses, from the colorful lives and folklore surrounding their inhabitants. Lighthouse keepers, without a doubt led extraordinarily desolate, lonely, and sometimes dangerous lives protecting the welfare of mariners, as well as personally surviving the harsh elements connected with their posts. Nowhere were the conditions anymore bleak and challenging, then off the cold, rocky and treacherous coast of Maine, on Boon Island, where fog, "nor'easters" and changing weather conditions, combine to make survival a difficult proposition. Many a lighthouse keeper held-on by the skin of their teeth while being battered by unusually harsh storms and high tides. Water temperature during the winter averages around 35 degrees F. One such isolated post was Boon Island Lighthouse.

At 133 ft., Boon Island's lighthouse is the tallest in Maine. It is also thought to be one of the most isolated and most dangerous. In fact, the island's name is a result of legends and lore. Boon Island is frequently pummeled by deadly storms, and many a ship was wrecked there in bad weather. One legend, which supposedly took place in 1710, has the shipwrecked crew of the Nottingham Galley resorting to cannibalism! As a result locals and mainland fisherman began leaving packages of food and clothing, known as "boon," on the island to be used by shipwreck victims who were able to reach the rocks. Boon Island is, in reality, a pile of rocks about 400 square feet in size. The first lighthouse to be built there, in 1799, lasted five years in spite of being made of wood. The original light was blown away in a storm and replaced with two more lights before the tower that is there today, was built in 1852. The current cylindrical tower is made of hand-hewn granite blocks.

Boon Island was not the greatest place to end up if you were a lighthouse keeper. The isolation, danger, and basic deprivation resulted in quite the high turnover! The final straw occurred during New England's famous Blizzard of 1978 ("The Perfect Storm"), as the entire island was submerged under water and the other structures on the island were destroyed by flying boulders.The two keepers retreated to the lantern room until they were rescued by Coast Guard helicopters. Needless to say, the light was automated shortly thereafter!

Boon Island is located six miles off York, Maine, and in good weather, because of its height, can be seen all along the southern coast.

Year Established: 1811
Year Automated: 1980
Shape: Cylindrical
Height: 133 ft.

Written by gmarlett Copyright 2006 All Rights ReservedGreg's Maine Lighthouse Blog http://gregsebo.blogspot.com in Beautiful Downeast Maine