Located on the western shore of Castine, Dyce Island Lighthouse has been lighting the way for ships passing by for 200 years. The quaint lighthouse has gone through many changes over time, including being completely decommissioned and the guts of it moved to a new wooden structure nearby. The keeper’s house burned almost completely down, but was repaired and remains kept up to this day. The newer wooden lighthouse was destroyed by a storm in 2007, which led to the old stone lighthouse being recommissioned and repaired to working order.
The Little River Lighthouse has a rich history, along with tours, overnight stays, a gift shop, and a beautiful walk to get to the lighthouse.
Moose Peak Lighthouse 44° 28′ 26″ N, 67° 31′ 54″ W, Mistake Island, ME (off of Jonesport Harbor)
Located on Mistake Island, which is accessible by the public boat or from a boat tour from the Coastal Cruises & Dive Downeast, where you can explore and view the lighthouse up close. Mistake Island is known to be one of the foggiest locations, giving the island and lighthouse a mysterious feeling.
This lighthouse was built in 1808 by the order of President Thomas Jefferson, and it is the only “candy-striped” lighthouse in the United States. They offer tours typically every Saturday during July and August, the Annual Lighthouse Celebration in July, and the second Saturday in September for Maine Open Lighthouse Day.
This is the northernmost lighthouse and the last lighthouse to be built in Maine. From 1892 to 1910, the “lighthouse” was simply a lantern hung in a tree by Mr. Whitlock, the local mill operator. In 1910, the current lighthouse was actually built. The current private owners have agreed that with advance coordination, small groups may visit the lighthouse.
While there are no actual lighthouses on Deer Isle, there are 8 lighthouses within 12 miles and 3 of these can be seen from the island. Deer Isle has worked with the US Lighthouse Society and Lighthousefriends to create the Lighthouse Trail, where you can visit all 8 lighthouses and acquire stamps at each in your own Lighthouse Passport.
Located about a mile offshore, this lighthouse is best viewed by boat but also can be seen at a distance from various points along the shore. It was built in 1889 to accommodate shipping from fishing industries, primarily sardines.
This island and lighthouse are located between Maine and Canada, and there has been an ongoing dispute between the US and Canada over which country officially owns the island. There is not much on the island besides the Machias Seal Lighthouse and many puffins. There is limited access to this island, but there are some boat tours that can be used to access it.
A square, pyramidal bright lighthouse tower located 2 miles from South Addison, Maine was built in 1873 and was operated until 1958. A woman named Jenny Cirone lived in South Addison and raised sheep on the island, and these sheep and their descendants are still there today.
“In the 19th century, the little town of Milbridge was an important shipping point for lumber coming from the Narragaugus River. The light was first located on top of the keeper’s dwelling. In 1875 a new house was built and the original was removed from around the tower. The privately-owned lighthouse is best viewed by private boat.”
