Ram Island Light

This article is about the lighthouse in Booth Bay. For the lighthouse at the entrance to Portland Harbor, see Ram Island Ledge Light.
Ram Island Light
Ram Island Light
Location south of Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Coordinates 43°48′14.2″N 69°35′57.7″W / 43.803944°N 69.599361°W / 43.803944; -69.599361Coordinates: 43°48′14.2″N 69°35′57.7″W / 43.803944°N 69.599361°W / 43.803944; -69.599361
Year first constructed 1883
Automated 1965
Foundation Granite Caisson
Tower shape Cylindrical Tower
Markings / pattern White
Focal height 36 feet (11 m)
Range 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi) & 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi)
Characteristic Iso R 6s with 2 W sectors
Fog signal HORN: 1 every 30s
USCG number

1-5420[1][2]

Ram Island Light Station
Nearest city Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Architect US Army Corps of Engineers
MPS Light Stations of Maine MPS
NRHP Reference # 87002280[3]
Added to NRHP January 21, 1988

Ram Island Light is a lighthouse located just offshore of Ram Island, marking the eastern entrance to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and the west side of the mouth of the Damariscotta River. It was built in 1883 and automated in 1965. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Ram Island Light Station on January 21, 1988.[3]

Description and history

Ram Island is part of a group of islands along the eastern edge of Booth Bay, extending roughly southward from Ocean Point,[4] the southernmost mainland point of the town of Boothbay, at the tip of the Linekin Neck peninsula. The island is separated by a narrow channel from Fisherman's Island, a long and narrow north-south island.[5] Ram Island Light is located offshore, about 100 feet (30 m) north of Ram Island. The tower consists of an ashlar granite base, from which the main brick tower rises to a polygonal lantern house. The lantern house is surrounded by an iron walkway and railing, and is capped by a ventilator. It now houses a modern light fixture. The tower was originally connected to the island by an elevated walkway. On the island stand the keeper's house, and a fuel house, both wood frame structures, and a small brick oil house.[6]

By the late 19th century, Boothbay Harbor had become a major commercial and shipbuilding center of Mid Coast Maine, with a growing tourist trade and scheduled steamer service from cities further south. This station was established in 1883 to mark the easternmost entrance to the harbor area, and the western approach to the Damariscotta River. The light was automated in 1965.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Maine". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. 2009-08-06.
  2. ↑ United States Coast Guard (2009). Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey. p. 47.
  3. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  4. ↑ Damariscotta, Sheepscot and Kennebec Rivers (Map) (35th ed.). 1:40,000. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce. October 2010. 13293.
  5. ↑ Greene, pp. 20-21
  6. 1 2 Kirk Mohney (1987). "NRHP nomination for Ram Island Light Station" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-06-17. with photos from 1987

Sources

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