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In a 1962 article in the Boothbay Register newspaper, Malcolm Willoughby described a view of Maine’s Cuckolds Lighthouse at sunset: “The white light against a glowing red and golden sky... the dark outline of the trees on Cape Newagen, and tired seagulls winging their way eastward... produce a scene and a sense never to be forgotten.” This unusual and scenic lighthouse has survived tremendous change over the years. Declared excess federal property, it’s now due to be transferred to a suitable new caretaker under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA).
The Cuckolds, a pair of treacherous ledges at the entrance to Boothbay Harbor, apparently were named for a point of land on the Thames River in England that was granted to a London man to assuage his anger after King John had an affair with his wife. The Cuckolds in Maine may have been named by a transplanted Londoner.
In 1890, the Cuckolds were described as “much dreaded by mariners in thick weather,” and as a result, funds were soon appropriated for the building of a fog signal station. A steam-driven Daboll fog trumpet and keeper’s house were established in 1892. Local mariners believed a lighthouse was also called for and the government finally agreed in 1907. The Cuckolds was too small to build a separate lighthouse, so a small tower was built on the roof of the signal house. An attached two-story keeper’s dwelling was built at the same time.
The Cuckolds Light was automated in 1975. Some sources claim that the Blizzard of 1978 destroyed the keeper’s dwelling, but Coast Guard sources indicate it was demolished in 1977. The original fog signal building with the light tower on top remains standing, and the automated light and foghorn continue as active aids to navigation.
In June 2004, it was announced that the Cuckolds Light Station would be transferred to a new owner under the provisions of the NHLPA. On October 7, 2004, a group including representatives of the General Services Administration and the National Park Service went by boat to the lighthouse on an inspection visit. I went on the trip as a representative of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Also along were several members of a consortium applying for ownership of the lighthouse. The consortium includes members of the Earth Conservation Corps and a number of concerned local citizens.
Access to the island is tricky even on a calm day, so there might never be public access here on a regular basis. But as the accompanying photos show, this is a unique structure that’s well worth preserving.
To learn more about the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, visit www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/nhlpa/nhlpa.htm
This story appeared in the
December 2004 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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