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 - located in Penobscot Bay, it marks 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 was a busy hub of shipbuilding and lime exports during the middle of the 19th Century. Indian Island, so named because Native Americans hid there during the French and Indian War, was sold to the government in 1849, for a total price of $25. Congress appropriated $3,500 for a lighthouse in 1850.
The 1850 version of the station was 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.
A new, square, white and black, brick tower was built in 1875 and attached to the original keeper’s dwelling and the station was put back in use. Its characteristic was a flashing red every 6 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.
The lighthouse is privately owned and is not open to the public. It can best be viewed from Rockport Marine Park or from the water.
Indian Island Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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.
