Little Mark Island Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Little Mark Island Monument
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Casco Bay, 1.3 miles (2.1 km) southwest of Bailey Island, Harpswell, Maine |
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| Built | 1827 |
| NRHP reference No. | 16000338 |
| Added to NRHP | June 7, 2016 |
The Little Mark Island Monument is a special stone tower located on Little Mark Island. This small island is in northern Casco Bay, off the coast of Maine in the United States. The monument was built way back in 1827. It was made to help ships find their way and to offer a safe place for people who might get shipwrecked.
Today, the monument has a light on top and is still used to guide boats. The United States Coast Guard takes care of it. In 2016, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.
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What is the Little Mark Island Monument?
Little Mark Island is a tiny island, about the size of one acre. It's located in northern Casco Bay, near Haskell Island and Bailey Island. The island doesn't have any trees. The highest point on the island is about 40 feet (12 meters) above the ocean. This is where the monument stands.
How the Monument Looks
The monument is a tall, slender stone pyramid. It stands about 50 feet (15 meters) high. The bottom of the monument is about 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide on each side. The top is much narrower, about 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 meters) wide. It looks like the stones used to build it came right from the island itself.
The monument has black stripes going up each side. On its south side, there's a steel ladder. On the west side, there's an opening that lets you go inside.
Inside the Monument
If you go inside, you'll find an open space that goes all the way to the top. When it was first built, this space might have been open at the very top, like a chimney. Now, a concrete cap covers the top.
Inside, there's a box with equipment for the light on top. This light helps guide ships. The light runs on batteries, which get their power from solar panels. These solar panels are on a concrete pad just outside the monument.
History of the Monument
The Little Mark Island Monument was built in 1827. It was made to be like another similar structure built in 1811 at Cape Elizabeth, Maine. That older structure is now where the Cape Elizabeth Lights stand. Another similar monument was built in 1823 on Stage Island, near Biddeford, Maine. That one also helps guide ships today.
A Safe Place for Sailors
When the Little Mark Island Monument was first built, its main purpose was to be a refuge. This means it was a safe place for sailors who might get shipwrecked. The inside of the monument would have been stocked with supplies. These supplies would help anyone who ended up on the island after a shipwreck.
The Light on Top
A light was added to the top of the tower in 1927. This light is white and flashes quickly. It flashes for 0.4 seconds, then goes dark for a few seconds, and then flashes again. This pattern helps sailors know exactly where the monument is, especially at night or in bad weather.
