Wood Island Light facts for kids
 |
|
| Wood Island Light on May 12th, 2017 | |
 Wood Island Light
Location in Maine
|
|
| Location | Biddeford, Maine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°27′24.7″N 70°19′44.6″W / 43.456861°N 70.329056°W |
| Year first constructed | 1808 |
| Year first lit | 1858 (current tower) |
| Automated | 1986 |
| Foundation | Natural Emplaced |
| Construction | Granite rubble |
| Tower shape | conical |
| Markings / pattern | White with black lantern |
| Height | 47 feet (14 m) |
| Focal height | 71 feet (22 m) |
| Original lens | 4th order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | VLB-44 |
| Range | White: 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi), green: 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi) |
| Characteristic | Alternating white and green lights every 10 seconds |
| Fog signal | Horn: 2 every 30 seconds |
| Admiralty number | J0214 |
| ARLHS number | USA-905 |
| USCG number | 1-0095 |
The Wood Island Light is an active lighthouse found on the eastern edge of Wood Island. This island is located in Saco Bay on the southern coast of Maine. The lighthouse stands right outside the entrance to Biddeford Pool and where the Saco River ends.
This lighthouse is a 47-foot (14 m) tall white tower shaped like a cone. It is made of granite rocks. The light itself shines 71 feet (22 m) above the average high water level. Its automatic light flashes green and white every 10 seconds.
Wood Island Light is the second-oldest lighthouse in Maine. Only Portland Head Light is older. It is also the eleventh-oldest lighthouse in the entire country. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The United States Coast Guard keeps the lighthouse's light working. A group called The Friends of Wood Island Light also helps. They are a non-profit group that helps fix and take care of the lighthouse and the homes where the keepers used to live.
Contents
History of Wood Island Light
The Wood Island Light was first built in 1808. This happened because President Thomas Jefferson ordered it. The first tower was made of wood and had eight sides.
After the wooden tower started to rot, a new one made of granite was built in 1839. In 1858, the new tower was updated. A special Fresnel lens was put in. This type of lens helps make the light much brighter and easier to see from far away. The homes for the lighthouse keepers were also built around this time.
In the 1960s, the old top part of the lighthouse was taken off. A new type of light was put in. People in the area thought it looked ugly. So, when the lighthouse became automatic in 1986, a new top section was made and added. A modern light was also installed. In 2013, this light was replaced with an even newer LED light. LED lights last a very long time.
Cool Stories and Legends
Eben Emerson was a lighthouse keeper here from 1861 to 1865. On March 16, 1865, a big storm hit. He bravely saved the crew of a British ship called Edyth Anne from drowning near the lighthouse. For his brave actions, the Canadian government praised him. They even gave him a pair of binoculars as a reward!
Thomas Henry Orcutt was another keeper at Wood Island Light. He used to be a sea captain. He worked at the lighthouse for 19 years, from 1886 to 1905. His dog, Sailor, became very famous! Sailor would ring the lighthouse's fog bell to say hello to passing ships. He did this by grabbing the bell cord with his teeth and pulling it.
Lighthouse Keepers
- Benjamin Cole (1808–1809)
- Philip Goldthwaite (1809–1832)
- Tristam Goldthwaite (1832–1833)
- Abraham Norwood (1833–1841)
- John Adams (1841-unknown)
- Stephen D. Batchelder (1849-unknown)
- Nathaniel Varrell (185?)
- L.F. Varrell (185?)
- Joseph R. Bryant (1854-1861?)
- Ebenezer Emerson (1861–1865)
- Edwin Tarbox (1865–1872)
- Albert Norwood (1872–1886)
- Thomas Henry Orcutt (1886–1905)
- Charles A. Burke (1905–1914)
- C.B. Staples (1914–1917)
- W. F. Lurvey (1917–1923)
- Albert Staples (1923–1926)
- George Woodward (1927–1934)
How to See the Lighthouse
You can see Wood Island Light from a spot just past the end of SR-208 in Biddeford Pool, Maine. To get the best view, drive about 0.6 miles (0.97 km) past the end of SR-208 on Lester B Orcutt Bl. You will see an entrance to an Audubon trail on the left side of the road. Follow this path to the ocean. The Wood Island Light will be right across the water.
The Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse group also offers tours. You can take a boat out to the island and visit the lighthouse during certain times of the year. These tours start from Biddeford Pool.
Wildlife Around the Island
The island is home to a small group of deer. These deer are known to swim the half-mile distance to and from Biddeford Pool. It is quite special to see them when you visit the island. The best time to spot them is often in winter from the East Point Sanctuary in Biddeford Pool.
In the winter, it is also common to see snowy owls on the island. You might also see groups of eiders, scoters, and loons in the water during winter. In early spring, Brant geese and cormorants start to arrive.
