Curtis Island Light

Curtis Island Light, originally Negro Island Light, is a lighthouse marking the approach to the harbor of Camden, Maine. It is located on Curtis Island, which shelters the harbor from ocean storms. It was first established in 1835, and the present structure was built in 1896. The light was automated in 1972, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[3]

Curtis Island Light
US Coast Guard photo
LocationOutside of Camden Harbor in Penobscot Bay, Camden, Maine
Coordinates44°12′4.918″N 69°2′55.891″W
Year first constructed1835 (1835)
Year first lit1896 (1896) (current structure)
Automated1972 (1972)
Tower shapeCylindrical brick tower
Markings / patternWhite
Tower height7.5 metre 
Focal height52 feet (16 m)
Range6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi)
CharacteristicOc G 4s
Fog signalnone
USCG number1-4310[1][2]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Curtis Island Light
Area5.5 acres (2.2 ha)
NRHP reference No.73000263[3]
Added to NRHPMay 17, 1973

Description and history

Curtis Island is a 5-acre (2.0 ha) teardrop-shaped island off Dillingham Point, which marks the southern end of Camden Harbor. The island is mostly wooded, with a cleared area at its southeastern end where the lighthouse is located. The light station complex consists of a circular brick tower, a 1-1/2 story wood frame keeper's house, a small brick oil house, and toolshed. The dock is located at the sheltered northwest end of the island, with a path (one of several on the island) connecting the two areas.

The island was known as Negro Island until 1934, when it was renamed Curtis Island in honor of Cyrus H. K. Curtis, a publisher and philanthropist who was a frequent visitor. The light was authorized in 1835 and went into service in 1836. The present keeper's house was built in 1889, on the foundation of the original keeper's house, and the light tower was built in 1896. In addition to serving as a marker for the Camden Harbor entrance, the station also served as a signal tower for Bangor-bound ships.[4]

In 1970, a group of local citizens convinced the United States Coast Guard to turn the light over to the town, rather than auctioning it off. The island is now a town park. The light was automated in 1972, and the property is managed by a town-hired caretaker.[4]

Lighthouse at Camden, Maine, oil on canvas, by Fitz Hugh Lane, 1851. Yale University Art Gallery

See also

References
  1. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Maine". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. 2009-08-06. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  2. United States Coast Guard (2009). Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey. p. 38.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  4. "Curtis Island Light". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
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