Tenants Harbor Light, also known as Southern Island Light, is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

at the mouth of Tenants Harbor,

St. George, Maine St. George is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. It includes the villages of Port Clyde and Tenants Harbor, with the latter being town's commercial center. A favorite with artists, writers and naturalists, St. George is home to the B ...

, United States. It appears in paintings by Andrew Wyeth and his son Jamie Wyeth, who have owned the lighthouse since 1978.

History

It was established in 1857 on Southern Island, on the south side of the entrance to the harbor. It is on the west side of Two Bush Channel, the southwestern entrance to

Penobscot Bay Penobscot Bay (french: Baie de Penobscot) is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean in south central Maine. The bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River, downriver from Belfast, Maine, Belfast. Penobscot Bay has many ...

. The light was above the high-water mark. By the 1900s a fifth-order Fresnel lens replaced the original fourth-order (larger) lens. The 1½-story, wood-framed, colonial cape lighthouse keeper's residence was constructed in 1857. A brick-covered passageway connects the tower and the keeper's quarters. Other buildings include a storage building (1895), an oil house (1906), a

boathouse A boathouse (or a boat house) is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. describing the facilities These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats ...

, and a hand-operated fog bell in a square

pyramidal A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilater ...

tower (automated subsequently). The light was discontinued in 1933 and auctioned off as surplus in 1936.

Current status

The lighthouse was purchased in 1978 by Andrew Wyeth. His son

Jamie Jamie is a unisex name. It is a diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names. It is also given as a name in its own right. People Female * Jamie Anne Allman (born 1977), American actress * Jamie Babbit (born 1970), American film and te ...

now owns it. He reconstructed the white square pyramid bell house, and it is said to be a scaled-down replica of one of

Lord Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

's cabins on HMS ''Victory''. The lighthouse has appeared in several Wyeth paintings, including ''Fog Bell'' (1967) and ''Signal Flags'' by Andrew Wyeth. Other lighthouse images by James Wyeth are: ''Iris at Sea'' (painted as a fund raising project to benefit the Island Institute of Rockland); ''Lighthouse Dandelions''; ''The Gaggle'' (1995) ''Southern Island Sunset'' (1995), and ''Lighthouse''. The light and the island are the subjects of paintings by the Wyeths, including some, from the personal collection of Andrew Wyeth and Betsy Jane Wyeth, which are at the

Farnsworth Art Museum The Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, United States, is an art museum that specializes in American art. Its permanent collection includes works by such artists as Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, Thomas Eakins, Eastman Johnson, Fitz Henry Lan ...

in a special Wyeth collection, and part of the museum's periodically rotating shows. Jamie Wyeth has found the environs of Southern Island to be an inspiration for his art. One of eight privately owned lights in Maine, it has no formal support group, though Maine is the location of the

American Lighthouse Foundation The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1994 with a primary mission of lighthouse preservation. ALF's main office and storefront are headquartered in Rockland, Maine, and the organization currentl ...

and ''

Lighthouse Digest ''Lighthouse Digest'', a specialty magazine from FogHorn Publishing in East Machias, Maine, is about maritime history with particular attention to the preservation of lighthouses and their past. Though it is geared toward enthusiasts and antiqu ...

'' magazine. Andrew Wyeth and the Tenants Harbor Light were the subject of an encomium published by the Island Institute: ''Island Journal Turns 25'' (2009), It is said to include an 'extraordinary folio" of Andrew Wyeth's island work, as he was "a man who loved islands", particularly those in Maine. Tenants Harbor Light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Tenants Harbor Light Station" on November 20, 1987, reference number 87002026.

Getting there

*The best view of this light is from the water. Local lighthouse tours and other longer distance cruises (from

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

or from Tenants Harbor) can also provide views of this lighthouse. *However, a long distance glimpse may be had from the shore at the public boat landing near Tenants Harbor. Tenants Harbor lies south of US 1

US Route 1 east of Thomaston, Maine. Turn south on

State Route 131 The following highways are numbered 131: Canada * Ontario Highway 131 (former) * Prince Edward Island Route 131 * Quebec Route 131 Costa Rica * National Route 131 (Costa Rica), National Route 131 India * National Highway 131 (India) Italy * Str ...

and proceed about . Follow Hartsneck Road to the end.Anderson, Kraig, Lighthouse Friends, Tenants Harbor Light

References

External links

Farnsworth Art MuseumHuelse, Klaus -- ''Meine Leuchtturm-Seite: Leuchttürme USA auf historischen Postkarten'' -- ''Historic postcard images of U.S. lighthouses'', Historic Post Card View — Tenants Harbor Light'.Satellite view

Google earth Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...

.
Visit Maine, Tenants Harbor Light.
{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1857 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Lighthouses in Knox County, Maine Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Maine 1857 establishments in Maine

History

Current status

Getting there

Further reading

References

External links