Indian Island Light
Indian Island Light
Nearby town:
Rockport, ME
Established:
1850
Year Light First Lit:
1874
Lighthouse Automated:
No, decactivated
Lighthouse Operational:
No, deactivated
Tower Height: 30 feet
Present Optics:
Removed
Accessibility:
Viewed byboat/ boat tour only
Open to public:
No, closed to public
Find Indian Island Light
Click map image to open a Google Interactive Map for Indian Island Lighthouse.
Indian Island Light - Marking the east entrance to Rockport Harbor
Indian Island Light (+44° 9' 57.00", -69° 3' 38.00") is located in Penobscot Bay, at the east entrance to Rockport Harbor. Rockport Harbor, about fifteen minutes from Rockland, was known for its impressive shipbuilding expertise and lime exports during the middle of the 19th century. Indian Island, named for the Native Americans that hid here during the French and Indian War, was sold to the government in 1849 for a total price of $25.
In 1850, Congress approved a $3,500 budget for the lighthouse construction. Initially the station had a lantern mounted on the roof of the keeper’s house. A fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1856. The light was discontinued in 1859.
In 1875, a new, square, white and black, brick tower was built and attached to the original keeper’s dwelling. This was when the station was put back in use with a characteristic of a flashing red light every six seconds. The light was again decommissioned in 1934 and replaced by an automated light on the nearby Lowell Rock. Indian Island Light has remained out of commission ever since, but the property has been meticulously maintained. The tower, dwelling, barn, and stone oil house are still standing today.
Indian Island Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse is privately owned and is not open to the public. The best views are from Rockport Marine Park or from the water.
We would like to thank Robert English for granting us permission to use his images of Indian Island Light. You can view more images of Indian Island Light and Maine Lighthouses by visitng Robert's Flickr page.
