Pemaquid Point Light facts for kids

The Pemaquid Point Light is a famous lighthouse in Maine, USA. You can find it in Bristol, right at the very end of the Pemaquid Neck. Lighthouses like this one help guide ships safely along the coast.

History of Pemaquid Point Light

President John Quincy Adams asked for this lighthouse to be built in 1827. But guess what? The first one wasn't built very well! Workers used salt water in the cement mix, which made the lighthouse start to fall apart.

So, in 1835, a new lighthouse was built. This time, the builders made sure to use only fresh water. The lighthouse keeper, Isaac Dunham, watched the construction closely. He even wrote a letter to the US Lighthouse Establishment saying the new building was strong and well-made.

How the Light Works

The first light used a special mirror system with candles. It could be seen for about 2 miles. Later, in 1856, the lighthouse got a much better light called a Fresnel lens. This type of lens was invented in the 1850s and helps focus light much more powerfully. The Pemaquid Point Light still uses one of these special lenses today. It's one of only six still working in Maine! The house where the lighthouse keeper lived was built in 1857.

Famous Lighthouse Keepers

A very special person named Marcus A. Hanna once worked as a keeper here. He was the only person ever to win both the Medal of Honor (for bravery in the Civil War) and the Gold Lifesaving Medal (for saving lives at sea).

In 1934, the lighthouse became "automated." This means machines took over the job of keeping the light on, so a human keeper wasn't needed all the time.

Pemaquid Light on the Maine Quarter

The Pemaquid Point Light is so important that it was chosen by people in Maine to be on their state quarter. This coin was part of a special program by the U.S. Mint that featured a different landmark for each state. The coin also shows a three-masted ship, like the Victory Chimes.

The area around the lighthouse is also very beautiful. There are amazing rock formations that go right down to the ocean. These rocks are super old, hundreds of millions of years old! Their unique look makes this lighthouse one of the most photographed spots on the Maine coast. You might have even seen a picture of it as a background option in Windows 7!

Who Takes Care of the Lighthouse?

The United States Coast Guard owns the lighthouse. But it's looked after by a group called the American Lighthouse Foundation. A local group, the Friends of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (FPPL), helps run the lighthouse. They use donations from visitors to keep it in good shape. You can visit the lighthouse from mid-May to mid-October.

The Pemaquid Point Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1985. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.

Sadly, in January 2024, a big storm badly damaged the lighthouse's old bell house.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park Activities

The area around the lighthouse is a park run by the Bristol Parks and Recreation Department. It's called Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park.

The old keeper's house is now the Fishermen's Museum at Pemaquid. Here, you can see cool displays and items about the lighthouse and the history of fishing in the area. There's also a Learning Center, which opened in 2008. It's a place for movies, classes, and concerts.

When you visit the park, you can enjoy the lighthouse, have a picnic, or look at paintings by local artists at the Pemaquid Art Gallery. Close by, there's a State Historic Site. It has old items from Colonial Pemaquid, which was an English settlement started in 1635. Their ship, the Angel Gabriel, was wrecked by a huge storm called the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635.

Geology of the Pemaquid Rocks

The amazing rocks you see at Pemaquid Point are incredibly old! About 430 million years ago, during the Silurian Period, mud and sand settled down. Over millions of years, heat and pressure deep underground turned these sediments into a type of rock called gneiss.

Later, hot, melted rock pushed its way into these layers. As it cooled slowly, it formed hard, white igneous rock. All this heat and pressure twisted and folded the rock layers into the cool patterns you see today. The ocean and rough weather have polished these unique rock formations over time.

List of Light Keepers

(Keeper; Date appointed):

Gallery

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  Pemaquid Point Light Station Sign, Bristol, Maine, USA 2012

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  Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

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  The bellhouse originally contained a bell and a weight-driven mechanism to ring it. The small tower contained the weight.

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  The Pemaquid Point Lighthouse as depicted on the Maine state quarter

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  Pemaquid Point Lighthouse at sunrise

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  A view from the rocks of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse