Lighthouse Hopping in Maine

My Dad and I went up the coast of Maine visiting lighthouses.  Hope you enjoy these photos.

I.  Portland Head Lighthouse

The oldest lighthouse in Maine built in 1791

II.  Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

Exposed bedrock creates a scenic landscape

III. Nubble Lightouse

NASA included picture of Nubble aboard“Voyager II’’ 

because it was America’s quintessential lighthouse

IV.  Marshall Point Lighthouse

Forrest Gump was filmed here

Run Forrest Run

V.  Owl's Head Lighthouse

Great views off its cliffs

VI.  Camden

Pretty little town and harbor

Notes by Raman Kolluri:

When one thinks of a lighthouse, one imagines a tall building with a light at the top to safely navigate incoming ships to the harbor. 

But in reality, each one of them has a unique history, character and distinction of its own. United States has the largest number of lighthouses in the world. On the East Coast, the State of Maine itself has 70 lighthouses, of which 55 are still in operation. They are beautiful to look at and they evoke a notion of romance, mystery and heroism of the people who built and operated them for decades if not centuries. 

One has to literally drive dozens of miles into the interior roads to find them. But when they are finally discovered, their beauty is captivating and one feels the difficulty in finding them to be worthwhile.

In July, my son Surya drove me around to show me some of the most magnificent lighthouses in North East. In two days we were able to see nine of them. One was in New Hampshire and eight in Maine. 

 

Edward Hopper

 

Pemaquid Light by Edward Hopper

The Pemaquid lighthouse has an imposing structure, which has made it as one of the most photographed lighthouses on the Maine coast. In addition, this picturesque lighthouse attracted Edward Hopper who captured its image in, “Pemaquid Light.” 

 

The area near this lighthouse also is famous for the shipwreck in in 1635, when the 240-ton Angel Gabriel, a British passenger ship carrying about 100 English settlers sank in the sea.

 

 

H.W. Longfellow

 

Longfellow was inspired by Maine's oldest lighthouse the Portland Head Light to compose a poem, whose last two stanzas are:

 

 

A new Prometheus, chained upon the rock,
Still grasping in his hand the fire of love,
it does not hear the cry, nor heed the shock,
but hails the mariner with words of love.

 

"Sail on!" it says: "sail on, ye stately ships!
And with your floating bridge the ocean span;
Be mine to guard this light from all eclipse.
Be yours to bring man neared unto man.

Athens

 

The Portland Breakwater lighthouse's design was inspired by the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens.  It is made up of curved cast-iron plates whose seams are disguised by six decorative Corinthian columns. . The architect was Thomas Walter, most well-known designer of the U.S. Capitol East and West wings and its dome.

 

 

 

 

 

These lighthouses stand as magnificent centennials of a bygone era. While the lighthouse keepers and their families no longer tend to them, their fascinating stories have not vanished over the centuries. 

Portland Breakwater Light

This trip was most enjoyable as the weather was also excellent and we had a chance to see a part of scenic beauty and history, which we had not seen before.