Two Bush Island Light
Two Bush Island Light
Nearby town:
St. George, ME
Established:
1897
Year Light First Lit:
1897
Lighthouse Automated:
1964
Lighthouse Operational:
Yes, active aid to navigation
Tower Height: 42 feet
Present Optics:
DCB-224
Accessibility:
Viewed by boat/boat tour
Open to public:
No, closed to public
Find Two Bush Island Light
Click map image to open a Google Interactive Map for Two Bush Island Lightthouse.
Two Bush Island Light - located near Spruce Head, it marks the entrance to Two Bush Channel in Penobscot Bay
Two Bush Island Light (+43° 57' 51.00", -69° 4' 26.00") is an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation near Spruce Head. This 42-foot tall square tower has a characteristic of a flashing white light every 5 seconds with a red sector. Its fog signal is 1 blast every 15 seconds. The lighthouse is owned and maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
The island was named by local fisherman for two large pine trees which inhabited the island and served as navigational daymarkers before the station was built.
Two Bush Island Light Station was established in 1897 to mark the southwestern entrance to Two Bush Channel in Penobscot Bay.
The lighthouse was originally lit with a fifth-order Fresnel, which was replaced with a fourth-order Fresnel in 1902. It is now lit by a solar-powered VRB-25.
Two Bush Island Lighthouse is somewhat famous for the heroism of the first keeper's dog Smut, a Newfoundland-Shepherd mix. In 1902, a fishing schooner, the Clara Bella was in imminent danger of being smashed into the rocks of Two Bush Island, so two men aboard jumped into a dory, and tried to land on the island. In all the commotion, they heard Smut barking, which the captain later described as “music coming from an angel.” The barking alerted the keeper, who rushed to shore and was able to guide the men to a safe landing. The Clara Bella sailors offered to buy Smut for any price, but of course, Smut's proud owner refused to sell his stalwart companion.
Two Bush Island Light was automated in 1964. In 1970, the Green Berets destroyed the dilapidated dwelling as part of a demolition exercise. The lighthouse is not open to the public and can best be viewed from the water or air.
We would like to thank Robert English for granting us permission to use his images of Marshall Point Light. You can view more images of Marshall Point Light and Maine Lighthouses by visitng Robert's Flickr page.
