Tenants Harbor Light
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Tenants Harbor Quick Facts
Year Station Established: 1857
Is the Light operational? No
Year Light First Lit: 1857
Year Deactivated: 1933
Shape: Cylindrical
Tower Height: 27 ft.
Original Optic: 4th Order, Fresnel
Present Optic:
Existing Keepers Quarters? Yes
Year Constructed: 1857
Number of Stories: 1.5
Architectural Style: Colonial Cape
Construction Materials: Wood
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Tenants Harbor Light
Southern Island, ME
More Photos
(6 photos, 156KB total download)
History:
Tenants Harbor Light was erected on the northeast side of 22-acre Southern Island at the entrance to Tenants Harbor in 1857. The tower originally had a fourth order Fresnel lens exhibiting a red flash visible for 13 nautical miles. It was first illuminated on January 1, 1858.
In 1934 Tenants Harbor Light was one of a group of Maine lighthouses discontinued by the government and sold at auction. The lighthouse was bought by a Rockland resident. It passed through several hands until it was bought in 1978 by artist Andrew Wyeth and his wife Betsy James Wyeth.
Since 1990 Betsy and Andrew's son, artist Jamie Wyeth, and his wife, Phyllis Mills Wyeth, have lived on the island. "It's like living in an Andrew Wyeth painting," Jamie Wyeth told National Geographic.
The pyramidal bell tower is actually a studio built by the Wyeths.
Southern Island can be seen distantly from the public landing in the picturesque village of Tenants Harbor, but the lighthouse is best seen by boat.
Source:
New England Lighthouses - A Virtual Guide
Latitude/Longitude: 43°96.19'N 69°18.5'W
Directions:
- This lighthouse can only be seen from boat or air. Check out our Lighthouse Tours page for information of boat tours in in Maine.
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