Little River Light

Little River Light is a lighthouse on an island at the mouth of the Little River, in Cutler, Maine. A light station was first established at this site in 1846, and the present structure was built in 1876. It is one of the only iron lighthouses in the state, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Little River Light Station on March 14, 1988.[4] The light station is now owned by the American Lighthouse Foundation, which offers overnight stays in the keeper's house, and occasional tours of the property.

Little River Light
US Coast Guard photo, no date
LocationCutler, Maine
Coordinates44°39′3.186″N 67°11′31.544″W
Year first constructed1846
Year first lit1876 (current structure)
Automated1974
Deactivated1975-2001
Tower shapeCylindrical Cast Iron Tower
Markings / patternWhite
Tower height12 metre 
Focal height56 feet (17 m)
Current lensVRB-25
Range13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi)
CharacteristicFl W 6s
Fog signalHORN: 1 every 10s
operates continuously
Admiralty numberH4164
ARLHS numberUSA-432
USCG number1-1075[1][2][3]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Little River Light Station
Nearest cityCutler, Maine
Built1876
ArchitectUS Army Corps of Engineers
MPSLight Stations of Maine MPS
NRHP reference No.88000156[4]
Added to NRHPMarch 14, 1988

Description and history

The Little River is an east-west tidal inlet on the coast of Down East Maine, with the town of Cutler on its northern bank. At the mouth of the inlet stands Little River Island, near whose easternmost point the lighthouse stands. The station consists of a tower, keeper's house, oilhouse, and boathouse. The tower is an iron structure, with a supporting frame of steel and brick. It is 35 feet (11 m) tall, with an octagonal lantern house surrounded by a metal balcony and railing. Entrance is gained via a projecting gable-roofed vestibule. The keeper's house is an L-shaped two-story wood frame structure, with a shed-roof ell across one side. The oilhouse is a small brick gable-roofed structure set a short way inland. The boathouse, a simple wood-frame structure, is located at the western end of the island, connected to the rest of the station by a wooden boardwalk.[5]

Little River Lighthouse, Cutler, ME

The light station on Little River Island was authorized in 1846, and began operation the following year. The present tower was built in 1876 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the house was built in 1888, replacing an earlier stone structure. The boathouse dates to 1881, and the oilhouse was added in 1905. In 1916, the original 5th order Fresnel lens was upgraded to a 4th order. In the 1960s the Fresnel lens was removed and a DCB-10 rotating lens put in its place. The light was automated in 1975 when a modern 300mm optic was placed on a nearby steel skeleton tower.[6] In 2001 the tower was leased to the American Lighthouse Foundation, which restored the tower, allowing the light to be displayed once again in the original lantern. A Vega revolving beacon was lit there on October 2, 2001 after 26 years of darkness in a ceremony attended by over 1000 people.[7] Because the event was timed shortly after the events of 9-11, the relighting was noted as a "Beacon of Freedom to the World."[8] The keeper's house has since been fully restored and is available through for overnight stays. Periodic open houses of the property are offered during the summer months.[9]

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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. 12.
  3. Rowlett, Russ (2009-08-06). "Lighthouses of the United States: Eastern Maine". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  5. "NRHP nomination for Little River Light Station". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
  6. "Little River, ME". Lighthouse Digest Explorer Database. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
  7. "Little River Lighthouse, ME". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
  8. "Little River Shines Again". Lighthouse Digest Magazine. Retrieved 2017-08-30."The Sister Lights That Could Have Been". Lighthouse Digest Magazine. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
  9. "Overnight Stays". Friends of Little River Lighthouse. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
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