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As the clouds gathered ominously on the afternoon of August 19th at Maine’s Burnt Island Lighthouse off Boothbay Harbor, 200 invited guests also gathered together on the island, one for every year the lighthouse had been standing since it was established on November 9, 1821.
The guest list was impressive with Maine Governor Janet Mills; famed artist Jamie Wyeth; former lighthouse keepers Randall Griffing, Stephen Pitchford and Henry Sieg, who were stationed there in the 1970s and 80s; and Coast Guard Sector Northern New England command staff CAPT Amy Florentino, CDR Mark Neeland, MECM Dan Morales and OIC of ANT South Portland BMCS Clay Franklin, all in attendance, along with many other civic leaders, organizational representatives and volunteers.
The vestiges of Hurricane Fred eventually stopped by for a passing visit after the ceremony started, but it was somehow fitting to have a little “lighthouse weather” of rain and fog to remind everyone of the reason lighthouses existed – to protect mariners, especially in times of inclement weather. Thankfully, the large tents were adequate in keeping everyone and the equipment dry for the most part during the presentations that included Powerpoint slides shown on a large screen near the podium.
The Master of Ceremonies for the anniversary celebration was Elaine Jones, who was the visionary behind the preservation and education efforts undertaken at the lighthouse in her role as Education Director for the Department of Marine Resources for the past 30 years. Elaine was presented a letter of appreciation by Governor Mills as well as a silver platter later in the program by the Keepers of Burnt Island Light, in recognition of her many years of dedicated service and direction. It was noted that “Elaine has always called Burnt Island ‘the People’s Light,’ and she has made it just that.”
The speakers and presentations that followed in the nearly two-hour event gave history of the lighthouse and its keepers, showcased restoration efforts, recognized volunteers, detailed educational programs and thanked donors. President of the Keepers of Burnt Island Light, Adam Smart, talked about the group’s efforts to assist the island’s owner, the Department of Marine Resources, “in meeting the conveyance listed in their deed by the Coast Guard by providing educational programs, recreational opportunities, historic preservation, public access and maintenance of buildings and grounds.”
Governor Mills compared the bicentennial of the lighthouse to the state of Maine, “who recently celebrated its own bicentennial. This lighthouse has guided the people of Maine for two hundred years into strong and safe harbors. . . I’m proud that the state of Maine has been part of keeping this island and this lighthouse alive so that it becomes not only a beacon for boats and ships large and small, but a beacon to keep the light of history alive in people’s hearts and people’s souls across this state, welcoming everyone and welcoming visitors from away as well.”
Governor Mills mentioned that as part of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, federal relief money has been allocated to upgrade access to the island, add solar power and improve sustainability. Additionally, federal funding is coming down the pike to create more experiential learning to bring Maine school students out to learn about the lighthouse and island living.
Maine artist Jamie Wyeth was next recognized with a preservation award, not only for his part in donating funds to help replace the boathouse and coal bunker roofs and establish the educational center for Burnt Island Light, but for the impact he has had in lighthouse preservation nationwide over the past 20-odd years. In the late 1990s, Jamie donated several hundred limited edition prints, the sale of which helped fund the startup of the Maine Lights Program that led to the transfer of 28 lights from the federal government to other organizations.
Elaine Jones mentioned that “Jamie’s support was not only key to Burnt Island’s acquisition and preservation but many others that have been saved as a result of this initiative. This program was the model for the “National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000” which has benefitted countless lighthouses across the country since then.
Jamie also donated a second edition of prints as a “fundraiser for the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, which is home to the largest collection of lighthouse, life-saving and U.S. Coast Guard artifacts in the nation.” As Elaine Jones noted, “Maine lighthouses have had a strong influence on Jamie’s work and Jamie has made a huge impact on lighthouses.”
After further remarks and congratulations were given by state and local representatives, Captain Amy Florentino, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, addressed the crowd concerning Coast Guard and U.S. Lighthouse Service history and her work in overseeing 20 Coast Guard field units and cutters across the four-state region of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and portions of northeastern New York. Captain Florentino then helped Elaine Jones in thanking all the lighthouse keepers who had served at Burnt Island Light over its 200-year history by presenting framed pictures of the newly restored lighthouse to them or their spouses and descendants who were present for the occasion.
The last part of the program was devoted to a recounting of the Living History Program and offering recognition and thanks to all who had participated in any volunteer capacity at the lighthouse, or in serving as part of the Friends of Burnt Island Light, and those who had made donor contributions or helped in fundraising efforts.
It was noted that keeper Joseph Muise, who served at Burnt Island from 1936 to 1951, along with his family members, have been portrayed by the volunteers in interpreting history and educating any visitors or school children about lighthouse life. Muise’s descendants donated artifacts from their childhood at the light, as well as providing coaching to the actors and actresses who portrayed them.
The cover of the event program duly summarized the past two centuries and captured the celebratory sentiments of the bicentennial in stating that, “As one of Boothbay Harbor’s most beloved icons, the Burnt Island Lighthouse serves the people; as a navigational aide, it guides mariners safely into the harbor; as a symbol of hope, it welcomes weary fisherman and recreational boaters home to their peaceful port of call; as a beacon of light, it captivates and inspires students and teachers who wish to learn; and as an easy and accessible destination point, it lures kayakers, boaters and cultural tourists ashore. Burnt Island has given to the public in so many ways and the people have given back to it with its fully restored buildings. It will hopefully last another two hundred years.”
This story appeared in the
Nov/Dec 2021 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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