Contributed by Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse
Description
The federal government bought land at the east end of Wood Island in Saco Bay in 1806 and built a lighthouse, commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, in 1808.
This photo of Wood Island Lighthouse was taken in about 1859, as part of the first photographic survey of lighthouses during the early days when they were administered by the Lighthouse Board under the U.S. Lighthouse Service.
The house on the left is the keeper's dwelling house and it is the third one built since the establishment of Wood Island Light Station. The first was constructed of wood in 1808. It rotted out by the 1830s. A rubble stone house was then built and finished ca. 1839. In 1857 this wood dwelling house was built to replace the stone house.
The barn had been built in about the 1840s by Keeper Abraham Norwood.
Wood Island Light Station has historically been a lighthouse operated by a keeper and his family. In the early days they were farmers who raised animals and hay to feed them.
The granite tower that is seen in this photo remained as of 2005. The original tower was built of wood, rebuilt in 1838 and some reconstruction took place in 1858 in order to house the new fourth order Fresnel lens. The photo resides in the Coast Guard Historian's Office in Washington, D.C.
About This Item
- Title: Wood Island Lighthouse dwelling house and barn, Biddeford, ca. 1859
- Creator: United States Lighthouse Service
- Creation Date: circa 1859
- Subject Date: circa 1859
- Location: Wood Island, Biddeford, York County, ME
- Media: Photographic print
- Collection: Coast Guard Archives
- Object Type: Image
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Wood Island Light (Me.)--Buildings--Photographs
- Wood Island (Biddeford, Me.)
- Lighthouses--Maine--Biddeford
- Islands--Maine
- Aids to navigation
- Dwellings--Maine--Biddeford
Other Keywords
- aid to navigation
- beacons
- Biddeford Pool
- fishing industry
- marine navigation
- maritime
- navigation
- Negro Island
- Old Orchard Beach
- Saco
- Saco Bay
- shipwrecks
- Stage Island
- the gut
- the Pool
- warning devices
- Winter Harbor
- Wood Island Light
For more information about this item, contact:
Friends of Wood Island LighthousePO Box 26, Biddeford Pool, ME 04006
(207) 286-3229
Website
Use of this Item is not restricted by copyright and/or related rights, but the holding organization is contractually obligated to limit use. For more information, please contact the contributing organization. However, watermarked Maine Memory Network images may be used for educational purposes.
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