Visit the Bass Harbor Lighthouse
History of Bass Harbor Head Light Station
The Bass Harbor Head Light Station, located within Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine, marks the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay. Established in 1858, it has served as a critical navigational aid for mariners navigating the treacherous Bass Harbor Bar and the rocky coastline. Below is a detailed history of the lighthouse, followed by a list of its known keepers and sources for further reading.
Historical Overview
In 1855, the U.S. Congress recognized the need for a lighthouse at the mouth of Bass Harbor due to its importance as a commercial harbor and appropriated $5,000 for its construction. The lighthouse was completed in 1858, featuring a 32-foot cylindrical brick tower connected to a one-and-a-half-story wooden keeper's dwelling by a 21-foot covered walkway. The station was originally equipped with a fifth-order Fresnel lens, which was upgraded to a fourth-order Fresnel lens manufactured by Henry-Lepaute in Paris in 1901. A red chimney was placed over the lamp to produce a red light visible for 13 nautical miles.
In 1876, a fog bell and tower were added to the station, which was later replaced in 1898 with a 4,000-pound bell housed in a one-story brick structure, automated with a Stevens striking machine in 1901. The keeper's dwelling saw minor modifications, including a 10-foot extension in 1900 to enlarge the kitchen and add an office. A brick oil house was constructed in 1902, located 205 feet northwest of the lighthouse. The station relied on rainwater collected in an 1,800-gallon brick cistern in the cellar for water supply until a road was built, as all supplies initially arrived by boat due to the lack of a pier. A boathouse and slip were added in 1894, along with a hand winch in 1895 to assist with hauling the station’s launch.
The lighthouse was electrified in 1949 and fully automated in 1974, ending the need for resident keepers. The keeper's house continued to serve as housing for U.S. Coast Guard personnel, including the commander of the Southwest Harbor Station, until 2012. In 2017, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse and 2.5 acres of land to the National Park Service, making it an official part of Acadia National Park. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (reference number 87002273). Today, it remains an active aid to navigation, displaying an occulting red light (four seconds on, one second off) and is one of Maine’s most photographed lighthouses, drawing approximately 180,000 visitors annually.
List of Lighthouse Keepers
The following is a list of known lighthouse keepers who served at Bass Harbor Head Light Station, ordered by their service dates. Note that records for some periods may be incomplete, and additional keepers may have served for shorter terms.
- John Thurston (1858–Unknown): The first keeper, who placed the fixed red light into service on September 1, 1858, earning a salary of $350 per year.
- Willis Dolliver (1894–1921): The longest-serving keeper, who managed the station for 27 years. Dolliver began his career in 1888 as a second assistant keeper at Mount Desert Rock and retired at age 70 from Bass Harbor Head.
- Joseph M. Gray (1921–1938): Served for 17 years, one of the longer tenures at the station.
- Elmer Reed (1938–1940): Keeper at the end of a long career, serving for two years.
- Leverett Stanley (1940s, specific dates unknown): Noted for winding the fog bell mechanism during his tenure.
- Eugene Coleman (Unknown–1955): Retired in 1955 after serving at multiple lighthouses, with his wife noting Bass Harbor Head as her favorite station due to its accessibility.
- Morton M. Dyer (1955–1957): The last civilian keeper, retiring at age 70 in 1957.
- Gerry Moores (Unknown–1974): The last Coast Guard keeper before automation in 1974, a native of Lubec, Maine.
- Robert Burchell (2004): A Coast Guard keeper who resided at the station with his family, noting respectful tourist behavior.
After automation in 1974, the keeper’s house was used as housing for Coast Guard personnel until 2012. In 2020, the National Park Service took over, and in 2022, Tim Mount and Lynne Macco became the first caretakers to reside at the station under NPS management, selected for their extensive experience as lighthouse volunteers.