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Bass Harbor Head Light is a lighthouse located within Acadia National Park in the southwest portion of Mount Desert Island, Maine, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay.[2][3][4][5]
 | |
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| Location | Tremont, Maine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°13′18.5″N 68°20′14.2″W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1858  |
| Foundation | Stone |
| Construction | Brick |
| Automated | 1974 |
| Height | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Shape | Cylindrical tower |
| Markings | White with black marking |
| Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| Fog signal | none |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1858 |
| Focal height | 56 feet (17 m) |
| Lens | Fourth Order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi) |
| Characteristic | Occulting red, 4s |
Bass Harbor Head Light Station | |
| Nearest city | Bass Harbor, Maine |
| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| Architect | US Army Corps of Engineers |
| MPS | Light Stations of Maine MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 87002273[1] |
| Added to NRHP | January 21, 1988 |
The history of Bass Harbor Head Light dates to 1855, when it was determined that there was sufficient reason for a lighthouse at the mouth of Bass Harbor. In 1855, the U.S. Congress appropriated $5,000 for construction of the lighthouse. In 1876, construction was completed on a fog bell and tower, since removed.[2] A much larger 4,000-pound (1,800 kg) bell was placed inside the tower in 1898.[6] The house of the lightkeeper remains in its original configuration with the exception of a 10-foot (3.0 m) addition that was added in 1900.[6] The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Bass Harbor Head Light Station on January 21, 1988, reference number 87002273.[1]
In 1902, an oil storage house constructed of brick was built 205 feet (62 m) northwest of the lighthouse.[2]
Bass Harbor's fifth order Fresnel lens was replaced in 1902 with a larger fourth order. This lens was manufactured by the French company Henry-Lepaute. This lens remains in service today.[7]
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Today, the house is a private residence for a local Coast Guard member and his family. Tourists can get close to the bell and light via a concrete path, but most of the grounds remain private. There is a short walk which takes one to a series of wooden steps that lead down onto the many granite boulders that provide a great view of the harbor side of the lighthouse.[2]
- John Thurston (1858–1861)
- John Rick (1861–1865)
- John Wilson (1865–1869)
- Charles B. Gilley (1869–1872)
- James L. Wilson (1872–1880)
- C. F. Chase (1880–1890)
- William T. Holbrook (1890–1894)
- Willis Dolliver (1894–1912)
- Joseph M. Gray (c.1921-1938)
- Elmer Reed (1938–1940)
- Leverett Stanley (1940–1950)[2]
- Eugene L. Coleman (1950–1955)[8]
- Morton M. Dyer (1955–1957)
- Cecil A. Mareno (1960s)
- Walter D. Moulton (U.S. Coast Guard, 1962–1963)
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