Eagle Island Light
Eagle Island is located in Penobscot Bay between Deer Isle and North Haven. Commissioned by President Van Buren in 1839, Eagle Island Light was established on the east end of the 260-acre island to guide vessels toward the Penobscot River and onto Bangor, America's leading lumber port in the mid-19th century.
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A wood frame, two story keeper's house and a fog bell tower were built at the same time as the stone lighthouse. An oil house was added in 1895; a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1858. 1932 a 4,200-pound bronze fog bell was installed in the bell tower.
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The light was automated in 1959 and all buildings except the tower itself were put up for bid with the condition that the buyer remove structures from the light station property. When no one came forward, the Coast Guard in 1963 decided to raze the building.
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Members of the Quinn family, long time residents of the island with ties to pervious keepers of the Eagle Island Light appealed the decision but were unsuccessful in preventing demolition.
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In 1964 all buildings were razed, leaving the tower scarred and only traces of the old foundations remaining. When trying to remove the giant fog bell, the demolition crew lost control of it and the bell careened down the cliff into the ocean.
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An unexpecting lobsterman later found the bell retrieved it; photographer Eliot Porter subsequently purchased the bell.
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The lighthouse is now on private property and access to the island is carefully controlled. Views from the water are partially obscured by trees Excursion trips around, not onto, the island are offered via the mail boat from Sunset, Maine; check area information for the schedule.
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All text copyright ã 1999 by Courtney Thompson/CatNap Publications. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted, in any form without prior written permission from the publisher.
All images copyright ã 2000 by Richard Asarisi/Photoworkings.com. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted, in any form without prior written permission from the publisher.