A Weekend at Goose Rocks Lighthouse
August 11, 2009 3 Comments
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Rebecca and I headed out to stay overnight at the Goose Rocks Light House off the coast of North Haven, ME. Dr. Casey Jordan, Founder of Beacon Preservation, and owner of The Goose Rocks Light House in ME and Penfield Reef Light House in Fairfield, CT had been gracious enough to invite us to stay over a Goose Rocks for the weekend for fun and photography. The trip was quite an adventure, and it was a great place to unwind.
Goose Rocks lighthouse sits on the Eastern waters off the Fox Islands in Penobscot Bay in North Eastern Maine. The nearest town is North Haven, about 3 miles west of the lighthouse. North Haven which is on the northern side of the bay is the smaller of its neighboring island, Vinylhaven. When we walked off the ferry, Casey had arraigned for us to be picked up and brought out to the lighthouse. We were met by Charles and his wife Noreen, a couple that have lived out on the island for 6 years, and who help Casey with Goose Rocks lighthouse. They were both very friendly, and were eager to let us explore the quaint little seaport of town of North Haven before heading out to the lighthouse. Once you’re out there on the Light, your there to stay.
As we began walking from the Ferry Noreen said that it was “Community Day” there on the island. She asked if we wanted to stick around to watch the parade, and yes, the cod fish relay race. Community day has become the new tradition that replaces 4th of July because the highest owner resident population is in August, and the summer renters are July, so it is more appropriate to have a day when the population is highest on the island. The parade did not last too long, just long enough. The Floats had antique fire trucks, a bee keeper and an environmental conservation float and other fun and quirky things. When that was over, Charles brought us to the Grocery store to pick up supplies, and then we planned to grab a quick bite to eat and watch the Cod Relays which started at 1p.
At 2p we started out to the lighthouse in a small boat that had our supplies. Charles took us out in a small zodiac boat. We cruised along at about 3 knots and made it to the island in about 15 minutes. Around the last bend and there it was sticking out of the water. 51 feet tall, and it was high tide, so we would not have to climb as far on the steel ladder that brings you up to the first deck. Rebecca was at the bow and roped us off, then followed Charles up the ladder to the deck. I helped pass up the items to Charles, and then climbed up.
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At the Lighthouse
looking down the hatch where we climb through Rebecca going up to the 4th floor
The views were spectacular. Up high enough to get a great 360 degree view. The deck had a gas grill and a marble round table with 4 cast iron chairs. The lighthouse is a large tube with a steel exterior reinforced with cement and brick. The lighthouse was built in 1890, and was a manned lighthouse up until 1960. The coast guard crews lived in the lighthouse on two year terms. Inside there were four floors, a basement and the beacon that sits on top of the structure. On the first floor is the living quarters furnished with a huge round sofa table, and all the décor fits perfectly. The next up is the guest bedroom with one full size bed. On the third floor is the master bedroom, with a queen bed and all the charm in the world. The upper bedroom on the fourth floor had bunk beds. At the beacon is a small round table and two chairs to sit and play cards or drink wine as you overlook the water. Each floor has something of its own. There is lots of character in each of the rooms and it is very clear how much work has been put into the lighthouse to make things as comfortable on all floors. We look forward to heading back in the fall.
North Haven has a year round population of 350, and tops off at 2,000 during the summer months. It is a town that’s economy is driven by lobster fishermen, ship building, and care taking of the half dozen estates on the island. A small and simple town that we both fell in love with the moment we set foot on land. It is richer than most fishing villages due to the care taking business that drives the economy. With Lobster fishing on a downward trend since the early 1900’s, many of the fishermen also work secondary jobs handling landscaping, building, and other skilled labor during the off months of the year.
It is not every day you get to stay out on a lighthouse. I was fortunate to have met Casey back a few months ago when I sat down to determine if we could potentially work together. Being a photographer, and one who is fascinated with lighthouses, I approached Casey with some images of the Penfield Reef lighthouse back in May of this year hoping that somehow we could find a way to incorporate my photographs into her projects. Beacon Preservation is using my photographs of Penfield Reef Light House to help lift donations for the Penfield Reef Lighthouse on the waters of Fairfield, CT. I also handled the photography for Green Light Academy, and taught a photography class during a four week educational program for high school students that focused on Environmental Conservation and sustainable energy sources. The program launched this July.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the it.
For more information on Goose Rock Lighthouse and Beacon Preservation visit them online at www.beaconpreservation.org
David
