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Bass Harbor Head Light is a lighthouse located within
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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 1885, the
Photos of Bass Harbor Head Light - Library of Congress - Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record
{{Authority control 1858 establishments in Maine Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Lighthouses completed in 1858 Lighthouses in Hancock County, Maine Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Mount Desert Island National Register of Historic Places in Acadia National Park National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County, Maine
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is an American national park located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor. The park preserves about half of Mount Desert Island, part of the Isle au Haut, the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula, an ...
in the southwest portion of Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island (MDI; french: Île des Monts Déserts) in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 52nd-largest island in the United States, the sixth-largest island in the contiguous ...
, Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay.Inventory of Historic Lighthouses: Maine Lighthouses/ref>
History
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 1885, the U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...
appropriated $5,000 for construction of the lighthouse. In 1876, construction was completed on a fog bell and tower, since removed. A much larger 4,000-pound (1800 kg) bell was placed inside the tower in 1898. The house of the lightkeeper remains in its original configuration with the exception of a 10-foot addition that was added in 1900. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
as Bass Harbor Head Light Station on January 21, 1988, reference number 87002273.
In 1902, an oil storage house constructed of brick was built 205 feet northwest of the lighthouse.
Bass Harbor's fifth order Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships."
The design allows the c ...
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.
Viewing
Today, the house is a private residence for a localCoast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
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.
Keepers
*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) *Eugene L. Coleman (?) *Cecil A. Mareno (1960s) *Walter D. Moulton (U.S. Coast Guard, 1962–1963) *Leverett Stanley (1940–1950)See also
* * National Register of Historic Places listings in Hancock County, Maine *National Register of Historic Places listings in Acadia National Park This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Acadia National Park.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Acadia National Park, Maine, United S ...
References
External links
Photos of Bass Harbor Head Light - Library of Congress - Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record
{{Authority control 1858 establishments in Maine Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Lighthouses completed in 1858 Lighthouses in Hancock County, Maine Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Mount Desert Island National Register of Historic Places in Acadia National Park National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County, Maine